Messenger

 619 total views

 619 total views Dt 26:4-11 The reading highlights the practice of Hebrew believers presenting part of their annual harvest to the Lord as an expression of gratitude. The offerer recites a credo (vv5-10) that merges personal appreciation with acknowledgment of Israel’s collective benefits, emphasizing the connection between individual and community within the covenant. Offerings were made

 1,206 total views

 1,206 total views Sir 27:4-7 The proverbs from Sirach emphasize that speech reveals character. Just as shaking a sieve exposes coarse elements (v4), conversation uncovers a person’s flaws. The furnace (v5) similarly reveals imperfections in materials. The quality of speech reflects the upbringing and formation of an individual (v6), as highlighted by Jesus in Matthew 7:20:

 1,480 total views

 1,480 total views 1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 The story of David sparing Saul’s life highlights the tension between them. Saul pursues David with a large military force, while David’s smaller group represents the idea that victory comes from the Lord and not the work of human agents (Ps 118:14-16). David strategically infiltrates Saul’s camp,

 1,859 total views

 1,859 total views 6th Sunday C Jer 17:5-8 The reading from Jeremiah emphasizes the importance of trusting in Yahweh using three key elements of Hebrew poetry. First, it employs nature imagery, comparing those who trust humans (v5) to a withering bush in the desert, while those who trust Yahweh (vv7-8) are likened to a well-rooted tree

 2,096 total views

 2,096 total views 5th Sunday C Is 6:1-2, 3-8 In 742 B.C., the year of King Uzziah’s death, Isaiah experiences a theophany during a temple liturgy, highlighting Yahweh’s transcendence. He sees God enthroned, attended by seraphim who proclaim His holiness (v1-2). The Hebrew word “qadosh” (v3) emphasizes God’s otherness and sinlessness, which is manifest in His

 2,564 total views

 2,564 total views 4th Sunday C Jer 1:4-5, 17-19 1 Cor 12:31-13:13 Lk 4:21-30 The call of the prophet often brings difficult and even frightening consequences. Jeremiah’s account (1:4-5, 17-19), highlights some of the psychological challenges associated with this divine call. The prophet was initially reluctant to accept his mission (1:6), primarily because he was aware

 2,682 total views

 2,682 total views Neh 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10 The lay ruler Nehemiah and the priest Ezra played a crucial role in the reconstruction of Jerusalem—socially, physically, and morally—following the exile in Babylon in the fifth century B.C. In the presence of the assembled community in Jerusalem, Ezra read from the Torah. During significant moments in Israel’s history,

 3,337 total views

 3,337 total views Filipinos have maintained a long tradition of venerating the Sto Niño. Pope Innocent XIII approved special liturgical texts for a special feast to honor the Child Jesus on the 3rd Sunday of January. Along with Magellan’s Cross, the Sto. Niño de Cebu is the oldest surviving Christian artifact in the Philippines. It was

 3,412 total views

 3,412 total views Isa 42:1-4, 6-7 The text discusses the first of four “Servant of the Lord Songs” in Second Isaiah where the servant is introduced by Yahweh as a chosen and favored individual empowered by God’s spirit (ruah, v1b). The servant’s mission involves upholding justice and moral uprightness, extending Yahweh’s teachings to the nations (v1,

 3,871 total views

 3,871 total views Christmas (2024) “Your Savior comes” (Isaiah 62:11)! This phrase captures the essence of all the readings from the prophet Isaiah that we hear during today’s celebration of Christmas: Isaiah 9:1-6 at midnight mass, Isaiah 62:11-12 at dawn, and Isaiah 52:7-10 during the day. It symbolizes the dawn of a new era. The second

 4,330 total views

 4,330 total views 4th Sunday Advent (C) Mic 5:1-4a The reading highlights the prophet Micah’s condemnation of the sins of Israel and Judah, predicting their downfall. He identifies Bethlehem, the hometown of David, as a place of hope for the future Messiah. While the town is small and insignificant (v1), its importance lies in its connection

 4,926 total views

 4,926 total views 3rd Sunday Advent (c) Zeph 3:14-18 The book of Zephaniah, written during the time of King Josiah in the late seventh century B.C. (1:1), consists of three chapters and addresses both severe judgments against Judah, Jerusalem, (ch. 1), and the surrounding nations (ch. 2), followed by a message of deliverance for God’s faithful

 5,114 total views

 5,114 total views 2nd Sunday Advent (C) Bar 5:1-9 The Book of Baruch is a short work originally composed in Hebrew but survives primarily in Greek. It is attributed to Jeremiah’s secretary and likely dates from late pre-Christian times, post-200 B.C. Influenced by Isaiah, Baruch focuses on the theme of the exiles’ return from Babylon, relevant

 5,815 total views

 5,815 total views Jer 33:14-16 This passage from the prophet is a late addition to the book, absent in the Septuagint, and reflects a reworking of an earlier oracle (cf 23:5-6) Written in the post-exilic period, it focuses on hope for Jerusalem and Judah, with minimal reference to Israel. The passage emphasizes the significance of a

 7,002 total views

 7,002 total views Dan 7:13-14 This passage from Daniel introduces the title “Son of Man,” often associated with Jesus. In this vision, the Son of Man contrasts the four beasts representing historical empires opposing God’s reign (7:1-9). Symbolically, he embodies God’s reign and represents the saved people of God, who will gain dominion over the earth