Daily Readings for March 24, 2016

Holy Thursday

1ST READING

Today we reflect on the institution of the Eucharist. The Eucharist finds its primary structure from the Jewish liturgy of the seder meal. Jesus takes it and reinterprets its symbols through the prism of what will be His death and resurrection. It is the life of Jesus that we look at as we discover the full meaning of the sacraments. As Gaudium et Spes (the document about The Church in the Modern World of Vatican II) tells us, it is in Jesus that we discover the full meaning of our humanity.

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. 4 If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. 5 The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. 7They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. 8 That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the Lord. 12 For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt — I, the Lord! 13 But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon  you. 14 This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord,  as a perpetual institution.”

P S A L M

Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18

R: Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

12 How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? 13 The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. (R) 15 Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones. 16 I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. (R) 17 To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. 18My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people. (R)

2ND READING

The Eucharist is the memorial by which we recall the saving love and power of God. We should always be in awe of the gift of the Eucharist and never take it for granted. Let us develop a deeper respect and understanding of the Eucharist by asking God to reveal its meaning to us on this special night. As we keep vigil with the Lord after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, let us open our hearts to the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, 24 and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

GOSPEL

At the heart of the life of Jesus is His desire to bring the gift of salvation to us at the cost of His own life. Jesus shows us that service is at the center of a disciple’s life by washing His disciples’ feet. In the context of Middle Eastern culture, the master rarely serves his servant. Yet Jesus insists on serving His disciples to instill the spirit of service in them.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you.

John 13:1-15

1 Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, 3 fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come  from God and was returning to God, 4 he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. 5 Then  he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, butmy hands and head as well.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” 11 For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. 14 If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Ang Bato sa Dalampasigan

Maraming bato sa dalampasigan, may iba't ibang hugis at kulay. May magaspang at may makinis, may maliit at may malaki, may magaan at may mabigat.

Tulad ng tao. Iba-iba ang itsura, iba-iba ang pinagmulan, iba-iba ang pagkatao, at iba-iba ang pinagdadaanan. Tulad mo, tulad ko, tulad natin.

Sa pag-alon ng dagat, unti-unting naiipon ang maraming bato sa dalampasigan. Nag-aantay, nag-aabang, na baka sakali, sya ay mapipili, sa kabila ng iba pang tulad nya sa kanyang paligid. 

Parang ako, parang ikaw, patuloy na nag-aantay, patuloy na nag-aabang.

Ilang tao ang dadaan, ilang panahon ang lilipas, ngunit walang nakakapansin, walang nakakamalay. Na sa gitna ng marami ay may isang natatangi. Ngunit sinong makaaalam..

Parang ako, parang ikaw, hindi pa rin nasusumpungan.

Minsan, aanurin ka ng dagat at sa ibang lugar mapapadpad. Minsan mararamdaman mo kung gano ka mag-isa. Pero walang makakapansin, walang makakapuna.

Parang ako, parang ikaw, lumuluha ng tahimik, humihikbi ng walang tinig.

Minsan pakiramdam mo para kang malulunod, sa lungkot ng sakit at pag-iisa. 

Parang ako, parang ikaw, parang tayo.

Patuloy na aalon ang dagat kung panong patuloy na iikot ang mundo. Magpapatuloy ang buhay..

Para sa kin..

Para sa'yo.

Daily Readings for March 23, 2016

HOLY WEDNESDAY

1ST READING

It is important to always be ready to share the Gospel. A true disciple knows the heart of the Gospel message and shares it with others whenever he can. Preparing a short explanation and example is helpful. This is part of being a servant of the Lord — ready and available at all times to bring the Gospel to those who need to hear it.

Isaiah 50:4-9

4 The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; 5 and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. 6 I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. 7 The Lord God is my help therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. 9 See, the Lord God is my help; who will prove me wrong?

P S A L M

Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34

R: Lord, in your great love, answer me.

7 [8] For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. 8 [9] I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, 9 [10] because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me. (R) 20 [21] Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak, I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for consolers, not one could I find. 21 [22] Rather they put gall in my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (R) 30 [31] I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with  thanksgiving: 32 [33] “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! 33 [34] For the Lord hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.” (R)

GOSPEL

How did Judas feel after he had betrayed Jesus, a man he lived and worked with for three years? Maybe he regretted it as we do when we sin. We can avoid regret by rejecting the temptation to sin. But then sin can look very attractive at times. We need to understand the power God gives us through the Holy Spirit. It is by His grace that all things become possible.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Hail to you, our King; you alone are compassionate with our errors.

Matthew 26:14-25

14 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 16 and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. 17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” 19 The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” 23 He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” 25 Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Daily Readings for March 22, 2016

HOLY TUESDAY

1ST READING

God wants to work through us to make His love and mercy known to the world. When we allow God to use us as channels of His grace, we are being true to our identity as sons and daughters of God. It is a challenging but very rewarding life. When we place our lives in the service of the Kingdom of God, we open ourselves to the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 49:1-6

1 Hear me, O islands, listen, O distant peoples. The Lord called me from birth; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 2 He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me. 3 You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. 4 Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God. 5 For now the Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength! 6 It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

P S A L M

Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17

R: I will sing of your salvation.

1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me. (R) 3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. (R) 5 For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. 6 On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. (R) 15 My mouth shall declare your justice, day by day your salvation. 17 O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. (R)

GOSPEL

We betray Jesus each time we sin. We reject His love and mercy and choose our own path — a path that leads to destruction rather than life. Discerning between God’s will and the temptations of sin is a lifelong process. The time and effort we need in reading and reflecting on God’s word is worth every second. Spending time with the Lord in prayer will always bear fruit in our lives in His perfect time.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Hail to you our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.

John 13:21-33, 36-38

21 Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. 23 One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. 24 So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. 25 He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. 27 After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. 30 So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. 31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. 33 My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.” 36 Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him, “Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Daily Readings for March 21, 2016

HOLY MONDAY

1ST READING

Christians must always work for justice. God has chosen to redeem us as an expression of His justice and love for us. It is now up to us to be witnesses of His love through our lives. It is a constant challenge to live justly and reflect the love of God as the world does not have the same sense of justice as God does.

Isaiah 42:1-7

1 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, 2 not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, 4 until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands  will wait for his teaching. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with its crops, who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it. 6 I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

P S A L M

Psalm 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 2 When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies themselves stumble and fall. (R) 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. (R)

GOSPEL

Judas is an example of what happens when we choose to tolerate sin rather than fight it. It seems that he was a thief and stole from the Apostles while taking care of the common purse. He did not fight this temptation and so his life became a fertile ground for more temptations, including that of betraying Jesus to the authorities. Sin builds on sin; little sins grow into big sins. We need to reject sin in our lives.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Hail to you, our King; you alone are compassionate with our faults.                                                    

John 12:1-11

1 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5 “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com