Entering the Christmas Mystery with Zechariah: The Dawn from on high shall break upon us!
“In the tender compassion of our Lord, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79). 1. Zechariah, the Seer In the Hebrew Bible (OT), “Seer” depicts a prophet, or […]
Meditations on the Paschal Mystery through the Eyes of Mary (PART III: THE GREAT EASTER VIGIL)
Topic: Alleluia! Jesus our Savior, the Son of Mary, has risen! Alleluia! Today’s texts: To help us ponder the profound mysteries of this most solemn night, there are seven Old Testaments readings (Genesis 1:1-2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Ex 14:15-15:1; Is 54:5-14; Is 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15,32-4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-17a,18-28) detailing the story of creation, the Fall, and the promise of salvation through […]
Meditations on the Paschal Mystery through the Eyes of Mary (PART II: Good Friday)
Topic: Christ himself was wounded for our sins! And a sword pierced your heart too, Mary! Texts for Meditation: Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9; and John 18:1–19:42. What really is good about this Friday? Certainly not the bloody excruciating barbaric torture, suffering, and death of Jesus Christ upon the cross. No! What is good about […]
Meditations on the Paschal Mystery through the Eyes of Mary (PART I: Holy Thursday)
Topic: This is my Body… this is my Blood… given up for you! Texts for Meditation: Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; and Jn 13:1-15. Holy Thursday (evening) marks the beginning of the Most Sacred Triduum, during which we celebrate the Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, his suffering, death, and resurrection. I […]
“All are welcome”: The tempting heterodoxy of today?
Today, we find ourselves dancing to the drumbeats beckoning us into the infernal circles wherein are normalized, as approved human behavior and dispositions, the ideologies of transgenderism, homosexuality, and the unprecedented deification of autonomy, the so-called freedom to say, think, or do whatever the human spirit defends as fitting, right, and doable. The question of […]
Etsi veluti Deus non daretur (As if God does not exist) …
In the lines that follow, I share with whomever would give it a thought some reflections on the realities facing today’s Christian. This is inspired or framed around the liturgical readings of Friday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle I, namely, Baruch 1:15-22 and Luke 10:13-16. These scriptural texts invite us to ponder […]