Thanks for joining me for "24 Chapters of the Gospel of Luke in 24 Days (Dec. 1 to Dec. 24)". This will be done mostly via email so it is sort of self-paced.
Email me at deaconphuc@saintalbert.org if you would like to join us or know of someone who does.
We will practice lectio divina - oratio, meditatio, contemplatio.
1. Start with a quick prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open the words of Scripture to us.
2. Oratio - we read the chapter as regular pace once. We then re-read the chapter again the second time but slower. If needed, we can read the chapter again a third time even slower.
3. Meditatio - we sit with the chapter for a few minutes (if possible), meditating on the word of God. We can use our imagine to visual in our mind's eyes the events that is transpiring, the people involved, perhaps even seeing things through the eyes of one of the people.
4. Contemplatio - what is the one word, verse, event, or person that speaks to us? Why does it speak to us? Write a brief journal entry and revisit it throughout the day or before we go to bed (if possible).
5. End the lectio divina time with a prayer or even this Saint Andrew Christmas Novena (attached).
6. Sharing - we can share our journal entries via email daily or weekly, whatever moves us.
I did this last year and recorded each day in my podcast. The links are below if you want to listen to them this year. I am adding the reflection part this year. I will write my reflection and post it here so please check back daily.
Recordings on Podcast / Reflections on Blog
Luke Chapter 1
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-1-of-24/
Reflection: Wow! Did Saint Luke load the first chapter of the Gospel or what? He gives us two beautiful stories of HOPE, which is what the first candle of Advent signifies. We have the annunciation of the birth of Saint John the Baptist by the Angel Gabriel to his father, Zechariah, and the annunciation of birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to our Blessed Mother Mary. Two families that are forever linked in the story of our salvation when Mary goes and visits her cousin, Elizabeth. Two glorious canticles - Mary's Magnificat and Zechariah's Benedictus - that are filled with hope, praises and thanksgiving to our Lord and our God.
The virtue of HOPE also comes from doing God's will. We have Mary's Fiat, her "Yes" to God - “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” - to be the theotokos. Her cooperation with God's will brought about the redemption of mankind and is a model of trust in God for all of us. Zechariah also followed God's will when he named his son, John. HOPE comes with belief in God that "what was spoken to [us] by the Lord will be fulfilled," as Elizabeth said to Mary. This is the HOPE that the secular world thinks of, yearns for, and believes in during this festive time of the year in December but often times does not give God praise and glory by recognizing that He is the source of our HOPE.
Therefore, let us be like Mary and Zechariah and sing praises to God to all who will hear us. We can do this by inviting families and friends who have not been to Mass in a while to return to their Father in heaven. Show them the Father's love in our love for them, meeting them where they are at in their faith journey but always ready and willing to lead them to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who humbles himself and comes to us as a baby on Christmas.
Luke Chapter 2
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-2-of-24/
Reflection: In Chapter 1, we heard the Canticle of Mary, which is the canticle for Evening Prayer. Moreover, the Canticle of Zechariah is the canticle for Morning Prayer. Now, in Chapter 2, we hear the Canticle of Simeon, which is the canticle for Night Prayer. These are between canticles that the Catholic Church in her wisdom give us in the Liturgy of the Hours to reflect on God's love, goodness, and his plan of salvation for us - His beloved sons and daughters.
As I reflected on Chapter 2, these two verses struck me the most. The first is ". . .there was no room for them in the inn" (2:7). This verse struck me because these innkeepers did not lift a finger to help a pregnant woman in need of shelter. It made me thing of all the pregnant women who are abandoned by the fathers of their children and, unfortunately, sometimes they are even ostracized by their own families. We have to do better as a society. Now, on a deeper level, this verse struck me because it reminds me of how we reject God without really knowing Him and what He offers freely to us - love and redemption.
The second is ". . .Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart" (2:19). A lot weighed on the heart of Mary, the Mother of God, yet she trusted in God with all her heart, with all her mind, and with all her soul. She pondered what God's plan was for her but she never doubted. Her heart was pierced by sorrow, like when she and Saint Joseph lost Jesus for several days, yet she continued to give God her Fiat, her "Yes", every day. In Mother Mary, we find our strength to persevere in faith, place our hope in God alone, and love God above all else, even if it means that we have to experience sorrow at some point in our lives.
When Mary and Joseph lost Jesus, they never gave up and continued to search for him until they found him. We are called to be like Mary and Joseph. There will be times in our lives when we will lose Jesus and, it is during these times, that we ought to double-down on our prayer life, spend more time before the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration, and never let despair turn us away from our Father in heaven to the self-medicating ourselves with the vices offered by the father of lies, which will only lead to our destruction. Therefore, let us be like Mary and Joseph and always keep searching for Jesus until we have found him again and his is the Lord and King of our lives.
Luke Chapter 3
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-3-of-24/
Reflection: In Chapter 3, Saint Luke recounted the ministry of John the Baptist, who proclaimed "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." What were the responses of the people? They asked the questions: "what should we do?" This shows the people's desire to repent, to ask God for forgiveness of their sins. The question for us this Advent is, "what should we do?" In this time of preparation, of going deeper in our relationship with God by going deeper in our prayer life, our Lord Jesus Christ and give us the answer to this question that burns in our heart: "what should I do?" Jesus, who can make the winding road straight and the rough ways smooth, can do that for us in our lives.
I cannot tell you how many times I turned to God when things were difficult or challenging in my life [hint: every single time]. Even as a little boy, raised in the Buddhist faith but having experienced Jesus Christ through Catholic school, I turned to Jesus Christ and he has never failed me. Now, as an adult, I attend Mass every day (or as often as I can during the week) because I know I need God in my life on a daily basis. I told the folks at The Conservatory this in my Gospel reflection, during Communion Service morning (link below), and said that we must be watchful and alert to return to God before it is too late when we stand in judgment before our Lord and our God. . . "His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (3:17).
Therefore, let us this Advent ask God "what should I do?" to grow closer to you, Lord? To trust you with my life more, Lord? To praise and give you glory in how I live my life? To have faith in you that moves mountains? To know that you are the reason for my hope? To know in my heart that you love me unconditionally?
LINK to PODCAST: Gospel Reflection for First Sunday of Advent (12/3/2023)
https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/gospel-reflection-for-first-sunday-of-advent-1232023/
Luke Chapter 4
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-4-of-24/
Reflection: In Chapter 4, we hear how our Lord Jesus Christ "was led by the Spirit into the desert." This verse would bring us a lot of consolation because the Spirit even led Jesus into the desert - a dry, weary land that, for the most part, is deprived of life. Why would Jesus allowed himself to be led into the desert and be tempted by Satan? As with everything that our Lord does during his time on earth, he does it for us, to leave us a model to follow. Just as he did not need to be baptized, he allowed John the Baptist to baptize him so that he could leave us an example to follow (and he also sanctified and purified the waters of baptism for all of us).
Jesus is able to resist the temptations of the Devil because he turned to his Father in heaven. In his first response, he said "one does not live on bread alone," which, from the Book of Deuteronomy (8:3) continues with "but by all the comes forth from the mouth of the Lord." In times of sin and temptation, we turn to Jesus, the Word of God, and Scripture, the word of God, to help us. In response to the second temptation by the Devil, Jesus quotes the great commandment - "You shall worship the Lord, your God." Therefore, in times of sin and temptation, we can turn to the laws of God for clarity. In similar way, Jesus quotes the great commandment in response to the third temptation by Satan.
Now, notice how Scripture tells us that the Devil "departed from [Jesus] for a time." The Devil will always be poking at us, which is why it is important for us to stay close to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through prayer, Adoration, and the Sacraments. Because it is in the holy name of Jesus Christ and the Sacraments that he left for that therein lies the "authority and power [Jesus] commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Luke Chapter 5
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-5/
Reflection: Wow! A lot if happening in Chapter 5. Jesus' ministry on earth was off and running as soon as he returned from his 40 days in the desert being tempted by the Devil. But first, Christ has to assemble his team, his faith-sharing men's small group (if you will). He calls on Simon Peter (and his brother, Andrew) and the two sons of Zebedee (John & James). He then calls on Levi the tax collector (or Matthew). To Simon Peter, Jesus said: “Put out into deep water. . . Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." To Levi, Jesus simply said: "Follow me."
What always struck me is that they immediately left everything and followed Jesus! Usually, when I am get a call from a telemarketer or talk to a salesman, I would tell them that I would think about it. Of course, a telemarketer or salesperson is completely different compared to an encounter with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But it has always intrigued me until. . . I discerned serving God and the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ as a deacon.
My discernment reminded me that my "Yes" to God, like Mary's Fiat, is not a one time deal but a daily "Yes" to come and follow Jesus in my life. It is like I tell the couples that come to us for CALLED TO BE ONE Marriage Class, love is not a feeling but an act of the will. We will the good our of spouse and we do this by waking up every morning and saying "Yes" to making our relationship as husband and wife work, our bond as father and mother work, and, more importantly, our covenant with God work.
When we say "Yes" to God, we say "No" to things of this world in which Satan has dominion over. There are many things that will distract us from Jesus Christ - sin and temptation, broken relationships, illness, and even death. When we find ourselves far from God, we need to find the courage to come to Jesus and say: "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean," and have faith that God will heal us.
Luke Chapter 6
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-6-of-24/
Reflection: In Chapter 6, we hear the beauty and richness of Jesus' teachings. The Catholic Church, the bride of Christ, as safeguarded this deposit of faith that she has received from her Lord and her God after nearly 2,000 years. In this chapter, we read Jesus' sermon on the plain (the Beatitudes). Jesus tells us to love our enemies and not judge others. Christ teaches us that we are know by the fruit of our good works just like a tree is know by its fruit. (This one reminds me of the Christian hymn with the refrain that goes ". . .they will know we are Christians by our love. . ." and that love manifests itself in acts of charity.) Finally, Jesus tells us to build our lives on solid foundation that is rooted in truth and beauty that come from our Father in heaven.
Luke, Chapter 6, is almost like John 6, which Jesus gives us his Discourse on the Bread of Life. It is so rich that we can only hope to unwrap it one layer at a time over a lifetime of meditating and contemplating God's word in Scripture. Now, one of the things that struck me the most is Jesus saying that "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath." For me, that means that we honor and worship God well on Sunday when Jesus Christ our Lord is the center of our Sunday activities. Jesus Christ must be first and foremost, which means we must get out families to Mass before we do anything else. Sometimes, we allow organized sports and other activities to dictate when we go to Mass and spend time with God. We can change that for God's greater glory but that takes courage and knowing that time with God is worth it above all else.
Luke Chapter 7
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-7/
Reflection: Another chapter of Luke's Gospel loaded with "nuggets" from our Lord Jesus Christ for us to reflect on. However, I want to meditate on verses 4-5, which reads: They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” How blessed is the centurion and his slave to have so many people intercede to Jesus on their behalf?!
How many times in our lives have we interceded for someone else or asked someone else to pray for us? Do we intercede for them right then and there or do we tell them that we would pray for them but then later forget? The people interceded for the centurion and his slave in the presence of Jesus right in the moment/ When someone comes to us for prayers, if we are at a lost for word, I think a short but beautiful prayer that we can say for them is what Jesus told the widow who lost her son: "Do not weep." We can pray for someone by saying, "Do not weep. Have faith and trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In his Most Holy Name, we pray. Amen."
When we approach Jesus with faith, hope, and love, Christ is prepared to tell us, "Your sins are forgiven. . . go in peace." This is what Saint Luke conveys to us in his telling of the healing of the centurion's slave, the raising of the widow's son, and the pardoning of the sinful woman. This was the reason Jesus came: "the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them."
Luke Chapter 8
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-8-of-24/
Reflection: Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! A blessed feast day, everyone! Remember, go to Mass! Our Mother is waiting for us with loving arms. Guess what, today's Gospel reading is the account of the Annunciation of our Lord from the Gospel of. . . LUKE!
Chapter 8 is also loaded with "nuggets" from our Lord Jesu Christ! We have the parable of the sower of seed. We have the story of Jairus' daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage for 12 years. There is a wonderful meme floating on social media that essentially say: "If you are hanging on by a thread, then let it be from his garment" (paraphrasing). What a beautiful and consoling image that is for us all! Yes, we hold on to the thread of Christ's garment, like the woman with a hemorrhage did, but the goal is to allow the thread of Jesus' garment to be woven into the tapestry of our lives so that we are united to Him and He is to us.
Jesus ask us, "Where is your faith?" How will we respond to our Lord, especially when we stand before Him in judgment. We can hope to live our lives in such a way that when that time comes, Jesus will call us a "good and faithful servant." And, we have a formula on how to live such a life. . . the acrostic - C.H.R.I.S.T. Therefore, let us be seeds that fall on rich soil that we may "[hear] the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance."
Luke Chapter 9
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-9-of-24/
Reflection: Where to begin? The feeding of the 5,000. The predictions of his passion. The Transfiguration. The healing of the boy with a demon. Chapter 9 is rich is stories that we are all very familiar with; stories of the many miracles that Jesus performed. However, one of the things that struck me when I read Chapter 9 this time around was this verse: "And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
As with the disciples, Jesus sends us out to preach the Good News of the Gospel to everyone; however, sometimes, people do not want to hear the message that we want to share with them. In those cases, Jesus tells us not to be discouraged but just to shake it off and move on. Sometimes, this is the "cross" that we have to bear being a disciple of our Lord.
Luke Chapter 10
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-10-of-24/
Reflection: Jesus once again tells us that we should preach the Good News of the Gospel to everyone no matter if they want to listen to us or not. However, Christ goes one step further, even telling us to - in a sense - warn those who do not wish to listen to us what the consequences of their actions might be, saying: "Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."
Moreover, our Lord affirms us in carrying out the mission he had given us at our baptism: "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." So we continue to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others and pray that they will open their hearts to receiving God's word and allow it to transform their lives. At the same time, know that we will face rejection and hardness of hearts just as Pharaoh's heart was harden when Moses came to him to deliver God's message to Pharaoh.
For our part, let us continue to be like Mary and listen to what Jesus has to tell us and share that with others, in words and deeds, like the 72 disciples did or the Good Samaritan in Jesus' parable.
Luke Chapter 11
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-11-of-24/
Reflection: In Chapter 11, Jesus teaches us how to pray the Lord's Prayer - the Our Father. If you noticed, we pray it before we receive Holy Communion and that is not a coincidence. It is a reminder to us that "God's will be done" so that when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, and he dwells in us physically, we unite our will with His will for us. "Thy will be done" - we pray it all the time but living it is very hard for us to do. Christ tells us: "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
Truly, when we approach God in prayer, with great humility and confidence in His love and mercy for us, then ask and we will receive, seek and we will find, knock and the door will be open to us. However, what we will receive from God, find in our search for answers to our prayers, and the door that will open to us by God will be far better than anything we could ever imagine possible for ourselves. But we must trust, be patient, know that the Lord is God, He is love, and that He wills to good for us - the greater good, the best for us. Jesus, I trust in you, indeed.
Therefore, we must "[take] care, then, that the light in you not become darkness." It will happen when we feel that God's will does not align with our will for ourselves. However, that is backwards. It is and will always be His will in our lives that is first and foremost, that will bring us true happiness and peace in our lives.
Luke Chapter 12
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-12-of-24/
Reflection: A blessed feast of the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe! Jesus says to us: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" This should convict us to the core and cause us to pause and ask ourselves, am I on fire with my faith? The appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego set the country Mexico on fire with faith, as did the other Marian apparitions throughout the world. The feast days are meant to remind us to be on fire with our faith just as the saint of the day was on fire with his or her faith and, in turn (as Saint Catherine of Siena puts it), set the world on fire.
What is it in our lives that is preventing us from being on fire with our faith? Perhaps it is sin that causes us to feel ashamed and unworthy. If that is the case, then let us frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation, confess our sins and receive absolution. Jesus tells us that “[there] is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops."
We cannot hide from God. He knows everything but, respecting our freewill, He wants us to come to Him and seek out His mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament. Therefore, whatever it is that is preventing us from being us fire with our faith, let us be healed of it so that we can go forth and carry our the mission of Jesus Christ. As our Lord tells us, "everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God." We need to set the world on fire with our faith so that others may come to know Jesus. Our eternal life depends on it.
Luke Chapter 13
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-13-of-24/
Reflection: In this chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus continues to preach and teach. Christ preaches about the important of and our need for repentance. Moreover, we are not to judge others and, most certainly, we are not to judge the sinful of another by the suffering that they endure. We do not know their story, only God does and only He judges.
Jesus also teaches us that, as important it is to adhere to the rules of law, it is also necessary to help others. In a way, that is how we obey the great commandment to love God by loving our neighbors. He calls the Pharisees "hypocrites" for condemning him for curing a woman who had been bound by demons for eighteen years on the sabbath and pointed out that they would not hesitate to "do work" on the sabbath if it is in their own interest to do so - such as untying their ox or their ass from the manger and lead it out for watering.
Finally, our Lord preaches about the kingdom of God and compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed (that can grow and mature in us, just like our faith over time) and to yeast (that when we have faith in our lives, we become who we meant to be just as dough becomes leavened bread). Jesus also tells us to enter through the narrow door but it will challenge us in every aspect of our lives. While the world tells us to expand our minds and not be so narrowminded or closed-minded, there are certain things that we ought to adhere that will allow us to enter the narrow door.
Luke Chapter 14
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-14-of-24/
Reflection: Jesus once again teaches the Pharisees and the scholars of the law about doing works on the sabbath to help others. However, they are silent because they are plotting against him. Of course, Christ knows their hearts and, undeterred, he continues to teach on humility and discipleship. I want to reflect briefly on discipleship.
Jesus tells us, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." He then goes into the "costs" of being his disciple - leaving behind world things, including families, livelihood (like Peter & Andrew and John & James did), and renouncing possessions. Christ respects our freewill, which is why he invites us to come and follow him as his disciples, but he also tells us to discern the "cost" to do so.
This can be a stumbling block for us because we love our families, we work hard for our possessions (our "stuff"), etc. However, Jesus calls us to put Him above everyone and everything else in this world. When we do, we will find that our life is "ordered" in the way that it is meant to be - for God's greater glory, not ours.
Luke Chapter 15
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-15-of-24/
Reflection: The overall theme of Chapter 15 is God's desire to save us, to have us turn to Him in faith, and, if we go astray, to trust that He would come after us just like the Good Shepherd went after the one lost sheep. However, because God respects our freewill, He patiently waits for us to come to our senses, like the Prodigal Son did, and return to Him, like the Prodigal Son returned home to the loving embrace of his father.
As the same time, Jesus asks us to rejoice when sinners repent and return to the Father, seeking His mercy, forgiveness, and love. In other words, we should not be like the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. We should not be envious when a brother or sister of ours repents and returns to God and graces and blessings abound in their lives. We should rejoice and be happy for them. Why? Imagine if we were that "lost sheep", would we not want to be saved? I certainly would not want God to ever give up on me (or any of my family members and friends, for that matter).
Luke Chapter 16
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-16-of-24/
Reflection: The highlight of Chapter 16 is Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which is a God-incident because I presided over the Funeral Liturgy Outside Mass for Mrs. Cindy Ann Zapata. The Gospel that her son, Robert, and daughter, Cynthia, picked was from the Gospel of John (5:24-29) (se below).
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my wordand believes in the one who sent mehas eternal life and will not come to condemnation,but has passed from death to life.Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now herewhen the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,and those who hear will live."
The passage speaks of believing in the Word of God and eternal life. The purpose of our life is to glorify God in our words and deeds. This means listening to the word of God, believing in what is revealed to us in Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church through faith, and living our lives in a way that glorifies God. We do this when we follow Jesus' commandments to love God and love our neighbors. The rich man (in the parable) did not love God in his neighbor (Lazarus). When they died, Lazarus rest in the bosom of Abraham while the rich man could not even get relief from his suffering.
Luke Chapter 17
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-17-of-24/
Reflection: "It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin," says our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus not only commissions us to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth but he always warns just against leading others astray with our words and deeds. This starts in our own family, especially parents with children.
I always tell couples we prepare for the Sacrament of Matrimony that the greatest legacy they can leave their children is their Catholic faith. However, they cannot share what they themselves to do not know or even believe. Therefore, they must learn about their faith and wrestle with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Most of all, they must turn to God with humility and, like the apostles said to Christ, they must pray with these words, "Increase of faith"
When we were young, we relied on our parents to instill in us the virtues that flow from our Catholic faith. However, as adults, we must take ownership of our faith, prayer life, and spirituality, regardless of well how parents did or did not do in passing the faith on to us. This is one way to can show Jesus our gratitude for dying on the cross for our salvation - by growing in our faith and own relationship with him and leading others to him. In a world where nine lepers did not return to thank God for healing them, let us be like the one leper who return to God gratitude by passing on our faith to our children or share it with others.
Luke Chapter 18
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-18-of-24/
Reflection: "O God, be merciful on me a sinner," says that tax collector. We are all sinners striving for holiness - no matter our status in society or how much money we make. It is like the Ghost of Christmas Present said to Ebeneezer Scrooge in the George C. Scott version of "A Christmas Carol": "It may well be that, in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child."
There is nothing wrong with pursuing a career and making a lot of money to provide for your family as long as the pursuit of status and wealth does not become one's "idol" or "god". However, we should all strive to be more the Tiny Tim than Scrooge (before his conversion) with child-like faith, trust, and dependency on our Father in heaven who always provides for us. Humility, charity, love are what will help us get to heaven, not a big bank account, large house, and expensive cars. As Jesus teaches us, "for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke Chapter 19
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-19-of-24/
Reflection: Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to see Christ. Jesus shared the parable of the ten gold coins and the good and faithful servants who used their coins wisely. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the temple. These are the events that unfold in Chapter 19.
What can we learn about what Jesus desires of us? Jesus wants us to seek him out, like Zacchaeus did, and invite him into our hearts and let him be a part of our lives. Jesus wants us to use the gifts that God has blessed us with to serve Him well. If we do, then when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, he might say to us "well done, good servant!" Jesus desires us to keep holy the temple of the Holy Spirit (our body) by frequenting the sacraments - particularly, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus wants us to know the hope, peace, joy, and love that he has to offer us. He weeps when we decide to turn away from him. He rejoices when we turn to him in prayer and listen to him attentively.
Luke Chapter 20
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-20-of-24/
Reflection: We live in this world but we are not of this world. We are made to be with God in the kingdom of heaven but we are sojourners here on earth. We are pilgrims making our way home to our Lord and our God but, while we are here, it is as Jesus tells us: ". . .repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” We do our best to live our lives in accord with the Gospels of Jesus Christ. God blesses us with the gift of faith and reason. Therefore, when the "Caesars" of the world try to tell us to do something that is contrary to our faith, we examine our consciences and, guided by the Holy Spirit, proceed with faith, hope, courage, and love.
Luke Chapter 21
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-21-of-24/
Reflection: God, our Creator, our Father in heaven, who breathes His divine Spirit into all of us asks us to give to Him everything we are and everything we have. Not from our surplus, but from our poverty. It is like what Jesus said of the poor widow: "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Our God is a loving and merciful God but I guess you can also say that our God is a jealous God. He desires us to love Him above all else, we just need to read the first three Commandments to know this to be true. Yet, God gives us freewill to come and follow Him. His word is eternal and He offers it to us freely for us to accept freely so that we too may have eternal life in Him.
Luke Chapter 22
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-22-of-24/
Reflection: In Chapter 22, three people are put to the test - Judas, Peter, and Jesus. Peter denied Jesus three times. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. However, Jesus, while he petition his Father to "take this cup away from me", he nevertheless remained obedient to the Father's will, saying: "not my will but yours be done." When we desire to do the Father's will, even when Satan tempts us, the Father will send His angel to be with us to strengthen us in times of trials. And, even we fail again and again, Jesus is always ready and willing to forgive us, saying to us (as he said to Peter): ". . .once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers." Courage is often time forged in fire and, as the psalmist tells us - "iron sharpens iron." When we go through the "furnace" of our own trials in life and, by the grace of God, overcome them, let us use our experience to strengthen others in faith, hope, and love.
Luke Chapter 23
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-23-of-24/
Reflection: In Chapter 24, we read about the trial, conviction (wrongfully), crucifixion, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. This particularly verse struck me with the feast of the Epiphany this weekend: "With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted." Pilate knew that Jesus was not guilty yet, in his desire to appease the people and stay in power, he submitted to their unjust demands. Pilate's actions remind me of Herod, who desired to stay in power so much so that he sent the Magi to seek out the newborn King. His intention was to then have the child destroy because Herod saw baby Jesus as a threat to his rule and power. This was the same man who had his sons killed because he wanted to stay in power.
Jesus, on the other hand, asked the Father to forgive the actions of those who acted against him. He also forgave the repentant thief who was crucified with him. This should give us comfort because, we can spend a lifetime with our backs to God and ignoring Him and His will for our lives, but He is always there for us, ready to forgive us and show us His mercy. We just need to turn to Him with sincere remorse for our sins and conversion of our hearts to Him.
Luke Chapter 24
Podcast: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/waiting-for-baby-jesus-with-saint-luke-day-24-of-24/
Reflection: "Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day," the angels of the Lord said to the women who came to the tomb that first Easter morning and saw it empty. Then, when Jesus met up with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, he opened their eyes to recognize him with the breaking of the bread. Finally, Jesus appeared to all the disciples in the upper room and greeted them with "Peace be with you."
Everything in the created world should remind us of God, especially when we go to Mass and celebrate the Eucharist. However, in the busyness of life, we oftentimes forget about God but He never forgets about us. On the contrary, He is constantly revealing His Truth, His love, His mercy, and Himself to us. We just need to open our eyes and see Him calling us to Himself with hearts filled with faith. Then, we are called to be witnesses of Jesus' life, Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension in the same way that Jesus told his apostles that they are witnesses for him in the world.
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