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“Remember Lot’s Wife: Be Ready, Be Watchful, and Do Not Look Back” Brothers and sisters in Christ, In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about the coming of the Son of Man. He refers to two important events in the Old Testament: the days of Noah and the days of Lot. In the time of Noah, people were eating, drinking, marrying, and conducting their ordinary activities until the flood came and destroyed them. In the time of Lot, people were buying and selling, planting and building until fire and sulfur rained down from heaven. What is interesting about these examples is that the people were not necessarily doing anything wrong by eating, drinking, marrying, buying, or building. These are ordinary activities of human life. So what was their problem? Their problem was that they were so absorbed in their everyday activities that they failed to recognize the seriousness of their spiritual situation. They lived as though life would continue forever, without considering their relationship wi...

Luke 17:20–25 The Kingdom of God Is Among You Brothers and sisters in Christ, In today's Gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus a very interesting question: “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Perhaps they were expecting Jesus to give them a date, a particular sign, or some extraordinary event that would announce the arrival of God's Kingdom. But Jesus gives them an unexpected answer: “The Kingdom of God is among you.” This statement is at the very heart of today's Gospel. Jesus is telling them that the Kingdom of God is not simply a future event to be anticipated. It is already present in their midst because Jesus Himself is among them. Yet there is something tragic about this encounter. The Pharisees are asking when the Kingdom will come, but they fail to recognize that the King is already standing before them. This Gospel invites us to reflect on three important lessons. 1. We sometimes look for God in extraordinary events while failing to recognize Him in our daily lives....

Pastoral Exhortation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines to open the Year 2017 as the Year of Parishes, Communion of Communities BELOVED people of God: We welcome the year 2017 in our “novena-years” of preparation for the grateful celebration in 2021 of the five hundredth anniversary of the first coming and first receiving among our people of the Gospel of Christ Jesus and of His holy Church. That forthcoming 2021 celebration, recalling the first Mass and first baptisms in our shores, should be a new and joyous explosion in our lives of faith, hope and love throughout our country. Surely such will be our response to the free and gracious gift from the heavenly Father which made the year 1521, for us Christians first of all, a memorable and incredibly significant “new beginning” in our history. As we began this “novena” we raised a banner of hope and renewal for the Church in our land with the motto, “Live Christ, Share Christ!” That is the firm res...

GOSPEL REFLECTION 22nd Sunday In Ordinary Time (B) Sunday, 30th August 2015 by Rev. Fr. Allen Baclor Abadines READINGS: First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8 Moses said to the people: “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.  In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.  Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, ‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?  Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as jus...

GOSPEL REFLECTION 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Sunday, 5th July 2015 by Rev. Fr. Allen Baclor Abadines  READINGS: First Reading: Ezekiel 2:3-5 Responsorial Psalm: Our eyes look to the Lord, until he has mercy upon us. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 GOSPEL : Mark 6:1-6 Jesus came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, "A Prophet is not without honour, except in his hometown, and among his own kin, and in his own house." And Jesus could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his ...

As the school years has already begun and the school classes normalizes, we also tried to bring spiritual assistance to the students and teacher by having the Holy Spirit Mass. Asking God for His continual protection and care as well as guidance so that we might be wise enough to use the gift of intelligence. Yesterday, along with the catechists of the parish, we celebrated the Holy Mass in the Adelina 1 Elementary School students and teachers. As the Gospel of the day suggests (MT 9:1-8) we pray to get rid of the evil spirit in this world. Christ himself have taught us the power of prayer and the power of prayer of the humble ones like the little children. Teaching children about our faith is a tough one, all catechist and parents experience that difficulty. Yet, we have to remind ourselves that it is a part of our duty to get rid of the evil spirit comes first from the conversion of the heart on the belief that only through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ we can drive evil ...

GOSPEL REFLECTION: All Souls' Day Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed  2nd November 2014 by Rev. Fr. Allen Baclor Abadines There is a tinge of sadness in my heart as I reflect on this Sunday's Gospel. This Sunday's Liturgy reminds of us of our loved ones who have passed on before us. We remember whom we love the most and whom we miss the most. When we lose a somebody we love so much,the pain will always linger. We can never move on. We only have to deal with it everyday of our lives. As we celebrate "All Souls Day," we commemorate our departed loved ones. Remembering them is like bringing back all the memories - the time we spent with them, all the joys, the laughter as well as the pains and struggles we've shared with them - all these can never be recreated. And that makes it all the more sad. But I find consolation in the very words of our Lord Jesus in today's Gospel. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you that are weary and a...

GOSPEL REFLECTION: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) 19th October 2014 by REV.FR. ALLEN BACLOR ABADINES First Reading: Isaiah 45:1,4-6 Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5ab Gospel: Matthew 22:15-21 GOSPEL: The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But Jesus aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title? They answered, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, ...

GOSPEL REFLECTION: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 14th September 2014 by Rev. Fr. Allen Baclor Abadines GOSPEL: John 3:13-17 Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world , but in order that the world might be saved through him." REFLECTION: It was through the wood i.e. the tree of the knowledge of good and evil- that humans lost the friendship with God (Gen. 3). Ironically, It was also through the wood i.e. the Cross -that humans regained that friendship with God. This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of t...