SCRIPTURAL WISDOM : DAILY MEDITATION ON THE WORD OF GOD

Romans 8:18-25 is essentially a beacon of hope, illuminating our path when darkness, despair, and difficulties threaten to engulf our spirit. I think that at the heart of this letter is this expression: ‘ For in Hope we are Saved ,". This passage is particularly poignant for believers navigating the turbulent waters of modern challenges. In November 2007, Pope Benedict XVI (of blessed memory) wrote an encyclical called Spe Salvi - In Hope we are saved. He presented "Hope" as Biblical word interchangeable with the word "Faith".  The message of St Paul to the Romans is the fruit of his Faith experiences. He went through a lot of hardship, sufferings, persecutions and rejection; all for the sake of the Gospel, but never gave up because he knew the One in whom he has put his trust - his hope . So, his experience of Hope is the fruit of his encounter with Jesus Christ. Paul reminds us that the sufferings we experience now are nothing compared to the glory that await

The passage from Matthew 22: is of paramount importance to Christians; it  illuminates the essence of our faith: Love of God, of our Neighbours as Ourselves. Today’s Gospel recounts the Pharisees' attempt to test Jesus by asking him which commandment is the greatest. Jesus’ response is profound. Jesus distilled the vast mosaic of laws and teachings into two primary commandments of love. Yet, there is an intentional order in which He presents them, signaling the foundational nature of one over the other. First, Jesus emphasizes the immense significance of loving God " with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This order in which Jesus summarized the whole commandments (613 as contained in the Jewish tradition), is not arbitrary. It suggests a hierarchy of love. The primary love is our love for God, from which all other forms of love emanate. Love for God is the foundation. When we genuinely love God , we, by extension, learn to love ourselves –

  On this special feast day of St. Luke, the evangelist, we are called to reflect deeply on our mission as Christians. Luke, a physician by occupation, became disciple of Jesus by vocation, and followed Paul from whom he learnt most of what he wrote.  He is known as evangelist of joy because of how he presented the Good News of salvation. His attention to detail and dedication to conveying the message of Christ serve as an inspiration for all of us. Our Calling to a Greater Mission : Just as the seventy-two were sent out by Jesus, so too are we, by the grace of our baptism, called to evangelize—to bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. Our mission may not require us to travel to distant lands, but it certainly invites us to share the Gospel with our family, friends, co-workers, and the world around us. “He sent them ahead of him in pairs”. But why did Jesus send his disciples in pairs? I think that there are at least two reasons: to form a community of disciples who pray and wo

  Écriture : Lorsque Jésus eut fini de parler, un pharisien l'invita à manger avec lui ; il entra donc et s'assit à table. Mais le pharisien fut surpris de voir que Jésus ne s'était pas lavé avant le repas. Alors le Seigneur lui dit : "Vous autres, pharisiens, vous nettoyez l'extérieur de la coupe et du plat, mais à l'intérieur vous êtes pleins de cupidité et de méchanceté. Insensés ! Celui qui a fait l'extérieur n'a-t-il pas aussi fait l'intérieur ? Mais donnez en aumône ce qui est à l'intérieur, et tout sera pur pour vous." (Luc 11:37-41, ) La Vraie Essence de la Sainteté. Dans notre parcours chrétien, nous pouvons facilement nous laisser prendre par l'apparence de la sainteté, un peu comme les pharisiens qui étaient méticuleux à propos des rituels extérieurs et de la pureté. Ils étaient tellement préoccupés par les pratiques extérieures qu'ils ont manqué l'essence d'une vraie relation sincère avec Dieu. Les parole

Scripture When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you." (Luke 11:37-41, NIV) The True Essence of Holiness. In our Christian journey, we can easily get caught up in the appearance of holiness, much like the Pharisees who were meticulous about external rituals and purity. They were so concerned with the external practices that they missed the essence of a true, heartfelt relationship with God and love of others. Jesus’ words today are a stark reminder that what’s on the inside of our heart that ma

Le voyage de foi peut parfois ressembler à un pèlerinage ardu à travers un paysage vaste et parfois impitoyable. Chaque nouveau jour vient avec ses défis, ses épreuves, ses tentations et d’innombrables voix qui cherchent à étouffer la voix de la vérité de l’Évangile. C'est dans ces moments que les paroles de saint Paul aux Romains brillent comme un phare, nous ramenant à l'essence de notre vocation chrétienne. « Car je n’ai pas honte de l’Évangile, car c’est une puissance de Dieu pour le salut de quiconque croit… » (Romains 1 : 16) « Par le Christ, nous avons reçu la grâce d’être apôtres » Nous sommes appelés à suivre le Christ grâce à notre baptême. L'appel de chaque chrétien est enraciné dans la grâce transformatrice reçue par Jésus-Christ. Ce n'est pas une grâce qui assure simplement notre salut personnel ; c'est une grâce qui nous donne du pouvoir, nous équipe et nous envoie comme ambassadeurs du Christ. Nous sommes faits apôtres, non pas par nos mérites,

  The journey of faith can often feel like an arduous pilgrimage through a vast and at times, an unforgiving landscape. The world is riddled with challenges, temptations, and countless voices that seek to drown out the voice of Truth of the Gospel. It's in these moments that the words of St. Paul to the Romans shine like a beacon, guiding us back to the essence of our Christian calling. “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16) Through Christ, We Have Received the Grace to Be Apostles We are called to be follow Christ thanks to our baptism. Every Christian's calling is rooted in the transformative grace received through Jesus Christ. This isn't a grace that merely assures our personal salvation; it's a grace that empowers, equips, and sends us out as ambassadors of Christ. We are made apostles, not by our merits, but by the unending mercy of God. An apostle is someone sent on a mission

  Hier, les catholiques du monde entier ont commémoré le dernier jour des Apparitions de notre Bienheureuse Mère Marie aux trois enfants de Fatima, au Portugal. La lumière du Christ qui brille à travers Mère Marie et continue à rayonner évoque la bataille spirituelle qui a commencé au ciel entre l'Archange Michel et Lucifer. Pour méditer sur cette bataille, je vous suggère une histoire courte et belle. L'Oiseau en Cage et l'Ombre . Dans un village pittoresque niché entre deux montagnes, il y avait une légende à propos d'un oiseau doré nommé Lumina et d'une créature ombragée nommée Obscura. Lumina chantait des mélodies qui pouvaient guérir les malades, réparer les cœurs brisés et apporter de la joie à quiconque entendait sa chanson. Ses plumes dorées scintillaient à la lumière du soleil, représentant la lumière de la vérité et la chaleur de l'amour. Mais Obscura, une créature née du doute et de la peur, haïssait la chanson de Lumina. Chaque fois que Lumina

  L'Évangile d'aujourd'hui met davantage en lumière l'identité de Marie en tant que Mère de Jésus et celle qui écoute la Parole de Dieu. Dans la foule animée, au milieu des murmures feutrés et des cœurs impatients, se tenait une femme qui resterait gravée à jamais dans les pages de l’Évangile de Luc. Comme beaucoup d’autres, elle suivait Jésus, attirée par la profonde sagesse et l’amour qui rayonnait de lui. Son nom n'a pas été donné dans ce passage, mais ses actions et ses paroles en disent long sur le désir de l'âme humaine et le pouvoir transformateur de la rencontre avec le Christ. La réaction de la femme : Alors que la foule tournait autour de Jésus, écoutant les paroles de sagesse sortant de sa bouche, elle ne pouvait contenir son enthousiasme et son respect pour Jésus. Au milieu de la foule, sa voix résonnait, perçant le bruit. Elle s'est exclamée : « heureuse la Mère qui t'a porté en elle, et les seins que tu as allaités ! » C'était une d

Today’s Gospel sheds more light on the identity of Mary as the Mother of Jesus. In the bustling crowd, amidst the hushed whispers and the longing hearts, there stood a woman who would forever be etched in the pages of the Gospel of Luke. She, like many others, had been following Jesus, drawn to the profound wisdom and love that radiated from Him. Her name was not given in this passage, but her actions and words speak volumes about the longing of the human soul and the transformative power of encountering Christ. The Reaction of the Woman: As the crowd swirled around Jesus, listening to the words of wisdom coming out of this mouth, she couldn't contain her excitement and reverence for Jesus. In the midst of the throng, her voice rang out, breaking through the noise. She exclaimed, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed !” It was a declaration of admiration and reverence for Mary, the mother of Jesus. She thought, like many do, that Mary’s blessed

Dans le passage évangélique d'aujourd'hui, Jésus chasse un démon d'un homme muet, lui permettant ainsi de parler. Au lieu de se réjouir de cette délivrance miraculeuse, certains attribuent le pouvoir de Jésus à Belzébul, le prince des démons. Ce contexte prépare le terrain pour l'enseignement de Jésus sur le Royaume de Dieu, le combat spirituel et les conséquences de l’incrédulité. L'attitude de Jésus face à la critique : Face aux sceptiques et aux opposants, Jésus demeure l’incarnation de la patience et de la sagesse. Sa réponse est marquée par la logique, le calme et l'autorité. Il ne se met pas sur la défensive et ne renvoie pas l'insulte. Au lieu de cela, Jésus utilise la critique comme une opportunité pour révéler l'absurdité des allégations portées contre lui et mettre en lumière une vérité plus profonde sur le Royaume de Dieu. L'attitude de Jésus face à la critique est une grande leçon pour nous. Transformer la critique en opportunité

Today, Catholics all over the world commemorate the last day of Apparitions of our Blessed Mother Mary to the three kids in Fatima, Portugal. The light of Christ that shines through Mother Mary and continues to shine echoes the spiritual battle that started in heaven between Archangel Michael and lucifer. To meditate on this battle, I suggest a short and beautiful story.  The Caged Bird and the Shadow . In a quaint village nestled between two mountains, there was a legend about a golden bird named Lumina and a shadowy creature named Obscura. Lumina sang melodies that could heal the sick, mend broken hearts, and bring joy to anyone who heard its song. Its golden feathers shimmered in the sunlight, representing the light of truth and the warmth of love. But Obscura, a creature birthed from doubt and fear, hated Lumina's song. Every time Lumina sang, Obscura would try to drown out the melody with its shrill screams, casting shadows over the village. Obscura wanted the villagers

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus casts out a demon from a mute man, enabling him to speak. Instead of rejoicing at the miraculous deliverance, some people attribute Jesus’ power to Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Such a backdrop sets the stage for the teaching of Jesus on the Kingdom of God, spiritual warfare and the consequences of unbelief.  Jesus’ attitude towards criticism: In the face of doubters and naysayers, Jesus remains the embodiment of patience and wisdom.  His response is marked by logic, calmness, and authority. He doesn’t get defensive or return the insult. Instead, Jesus uses the criticism as an opportunity to lay bare the absurdity of the allegation against him and shed light on a deeper truth about God’s Kingdom. Jesus’ attitude towards criticism is great lesson for us. Turning Criticism into Opportunity : Jesus said: “ Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls” . In other words, If Satan’s objective is to oppose the Kingdom of