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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...

Lucas 16:1-8 - The Parable of the Shrewd Steward One of the most difficult parables of Jesus "For the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light." - Lk 16:8 1. Introduction - A Scandalous Parable My dear brothers and sisters, if you were confused by today's Gospel, you are not alone. Even the saints were confused. We hear a story of a manager, a steward, who is wasteful, who is about to be fired, and who then cheats his master even more by forgiving debts - and then the master praises him! Is Jesus praising dishonesty? Is He telling us to be corrupt? Absolutely not. To understand this, we must see what Jesus is praising and what He is not praising. 2. What Jesus is NOT Praising Misconception to Correct: Misconception: "Jesus says it's okay to be dishonest if you are clever, the end justifies the means." Catholic Correction: Never. The 7th and 8th Commandments forbid theft and deceit. CC...

READINGS: First Reading: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death saying: “This is enough, O LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. Responsorial Psalm: Taste and see that the Lord is good. PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my sou...

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Solemnity of Christ the King (A) 23rd November 2014 by Rev. Fr. Allen Baclor Abadines  * GOSPEL: Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the Angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. "Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that ...

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...