Tag: Sunday Reflection

The community of disciples, together with the Apostles and the Virgin Mary, gathered in expectation. The Lord Jesus, the master and teacher they cherished had returned to His glory with the Father, completing His “Passover”—the transition from death to life and the fulfilment of His redemptive mission. His resurrection was not merely a triumph over death but a revelation of the eternal glory He possessed from the beginning, which He fully enjoyed with his return to His Father. Before His departure, He reassured His followers, saying “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper/Comforter, will not come to you” (Jn 16:7). At first, this seemed a paradox. How could His leaving be good? Would their Teacher and Savior not be more valuable to them in His visible presence?  This mystery puzzled me for a long time, but understanding the connection between the Jewish Feasts of Passover and Pentecost allowed me to have a deeper understanding of God’s plan for salvation.

This Sunday’s Gospel Reading is set at the Last Supper.  Yet Jesus speaks in veiled terms about His Ascension to the Father, which of course took place less than seven weeks after the Last Supper.  In Sunday’s Gospel Reading, we hear Jesus proclaim:  “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father”.  But how could we expect the apostles to rejoice over Jesus leaving them?

Today, as we reflect on John 13:31-35, we are invited into the mystery of Jesus’ glorification—not through power, wealth, or worldly success, but through humility, sacrifice, and love. In a world where many leaders choose destruction and war, Jesus offers a radically different path. He does not seek to annihilate his enemies. Instead, he builds bridges. As Pope Leo XIV reminded us in his first speech, we must pursue a peace that is both disarmed and disarming—a peace that does not merely silence conflicts for a time but heals wounds, reconciles divisions, and prevents future hatred.

The Gospel of this 4th Sunday of Easter presents to us the Good Shepherd. Some people might think that this Gospel message is addressed only to priests. It would be like saying that they are shepherds and the people are their sheep. While this is true, we are all called to become pastors and shepherds. The ideal of life is not to remain like “sheep”, but to become good shepherds, according to the Heart of Jesus. Regardless of our vocation, God gives us responsibilities, and we will all have our own flock to take care of, whether in the family, at work or in society. If we reflect on chapter 10 of the Gospel of St. John, we can see that for someone to be a good shepherd, or true leader according to the evangelical model, five conditions are evident in the example of Jesus:

The sorrowful news of Pope Francis’s passing took me by surprise at the Bangkok airport last Monday as I was traveling to India. Though I knew the Pope had been weak, I believed he had passed the most critical stage and was on the path to recovery.  

The whole Old Testament—its teachings, figures, and prophecies—finds its plenitude and completion in the person, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, incarnated by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

This Sunday’s Gospel presents us with the story of the repentant adulterous woman. In view of the gravity of this sin, according to Jewish law this woman should be stoned. However, according to the Roman laws in force in the Israelite colony, only the Empire, through its local representative, had the authority to condemn someone to death. This prevented the Jews from applying the law of Moses. Knowing this, the Pharisees try to put Jesus at a crossroads: when questioned, if Jesus said they could stone her, the Romans would condemn Him; if He said that they should not stone her, He would contravene religious law.

The fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare (Latin for “rejoice,” be glad”) Sunday because today’s theme reminds us of God’s infinite mercy and patience. We rejoice because we are reminded that in spite of our weaknesses and failures, God our Father is always awaiting our return. 

On the second Sunday of Lent, the Church presents to us the Gospel of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Throughout the gospel narratives, we follow the accounts of the numerous miracles that Jesus performed: healing people from the most diverse diseases, showing His power over impure spirits and the forces of nature. However, in the miracle of the Transfiguration it is different, here we witness the narration of the Manifestation of God in himself. He is the subject of the prodigious action, but also its object. This miracle has two vertices, one that marks the past, showing that in Him is fulfilled what was partially announced with the laws brought by Moses and the prophecy of Elijah. Another vertex that points to the future, where Jesus shines for three disciples, anticipating what He will be like in eternity and the Church will share in the glory of the Lord.

The liturgy of the first Sunday of Lent leads us to the desert. Immediately after being baptized and receiving the anointing at the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit brings Jesus to the desert to be tempted by Satan. It is worth noting the role of the Holy Spirit, the “True and Original Love,” the inner force that impels Jesus (2 Cor 5:14ff). He enters the desert “full of the Holy Spirit”. The fruit of Love is obedience, and the fruit of obedience is self-transcendence or the gift of self. This reflects the dynamics of the mystery of Love within the Blessed Trinity. We were Created in God’s image and likeness; Jesus was sent to restore our true identity.