Making Friends With The Lord Jesus

We have this reflection on a gospel parable from the Book of Luke, focusing on the contrasting spiritual attitudes of a Pharisee and a tax collector. It argues that true virtue is not found in public displays of religious adherence or looking down on others, but in a sincere recognition of one's own flaws. While the Pharisee is depicted as prideful and self-centered in his prayers, the tax collect...

Today, we reflect on a passage from St. Luke regarding Jesus' authority over demonic forces and the arrival of God’s kingdom. He rejects the accusations of the skeptics who claimed Christ used evil powers, arguing instead that such miracles prove a divine presence. The gospel emphasizes that individuals must choose to stand with Christ or be considered against Him, highlighting that neutrality is...

In this reflection, I broadcast from a quiet retreat center to discuss a scriptural passage regarding 'Jesus' authority over evil'. He addresses the historical accusations that Christ used demonic powers to perform miracles, countering that such internal division would lead to a kingdom's 'inevitable collapse'. The narrative emphasizes that because Jesus acts through 'divine power', His presence s...

Are you ready to discover the hidden depth behind the rules we live by? In this insightful homily, we are invited to look beyond the "visible" ordinances of our cities and delve into the Eternal Law—the very mind of God that governs the entire spiritual and physical cosmos. As we continue our journey of understanding the invisible realities around us, this reflection challenges us to see the Law n...

The homily provides a spiritual meditation centered on the duty of forgiveness and the importance of divine filiation. Drawing from the traditions of Opus Dei, the speaker reflects on Psalm 2 to emphasize that believers are children of a God who own the universe. The core of the message explores Matthew 18, specifically the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, to illustrate that human debts to God...

This is a reflection on a Lenten gospel reading from St. Luke, focusing on the rejection of Jesus by his own community in Nazareth. The speaker contrasts the defensive anger of the townspeople, who felt entitled to miracles, with the humble obedience of St. Joseph, who accepted God's mysterious plan without demanding prior explanations. By highlighting the biblical examples of the widow of Zarepha...

"If you knew the gift of God..." This powerful phrase from the Gospel of John opens our latest podcast and homily, inviting you to reflect on the extraordinary encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Much like the "holy watchers" we have been discussing who are ever-present in our lives, this homily reminds us that God knows our hidden lives intimately and is always "on th...

Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything right—following every rule and "slaving away" at your duties—only to feel bitter when someone else gets a free pass? While we usually focus on the rebel who ran away, this moving reflection dives into the story of the other son: the one who stayed home but became a prisoner of his own resentment. If you’ve ever struggled with envy or felt like your h...

This podcast episode, recorded on a Friday in the first week of March, offers a profound reflection on St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 21, specifically the Parable of the Tenants. The speaker uses the imagery of a landowner’s vineyard to illustrate our role in the world: we are not owners of our talents, resources, or lives, but rather stewards and managers who must eventually account for what we ha...

This audio transcript provides a spiritual reflection on the Parable of the Tenants from the Gospel of Matthew, emphasizing that humans are stewards rather than owners of their lives and talents. The speaker compares the moral life to a business audit, urging listeners to use the season of Lent to examine their consciences and "check their books" for spiritual profit or loss. He warns against the...

These spoken reflections examine two gospel narratives that highlight the spiritual contradictions between worldly status and divine judgment. The first analysis explores the story of the rich man and Lazarus, emphasizing how death acts as a great leveler that reverses earthly fortunes based on one's compassion and responsiveness to scripture. The second source discusses Jesus’s prophecy of his ow...

Welcome to today’s reflection, where we begin by lifting up the people of Iran in prayer following recent bombings and petitioning for the Holy Father and the unity of the Church. Our scriptural focus is Matthew 20:17-28, in which Jesus prophesies not only his impending death and suffering but also his glorious resurrection. We are encouraged to look past our own trials with a "discipline of makin...

Dive into a thought-provoking homily that unmasks the subtle, yet pervasive, trap of "humble bragging" and hypocrisy, a phenomenon as relevant today as it was in ancient times. Drawing insights from the Gospel of Matthew, this reflection powerfully connects the behavior of the Scribes and Pharisees to our own modern-day tendencies, particularly in the age of social media. Discover why a disconnect...

"Have you ever considered that the way you treat others is precisely how you'll be treated, both in this life and the next? Today, we explore a deeply personal and often overlooked message from Jesus in Luke chapter 6. Our host illuminates the 'mirror' principle, showing how compassion, judgment, and pardon aren't just abstract concepts, but direct determinants of our spiritual path. You'll hear w...

The Transfiguration of Jesus urges the listeners to use their limited time for spiritual growth and virtue. By recounting the biblical ascent of Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, we emphasize the importance of seeking solitude and prayer to witness the divine. Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of religious law and prophecy, manifesting His glory to encourage believers to prioritize humil...

"Welcome. In today’s homily, titled 'Pray for Those Who Persecute You,' we dive into one of Jesus' most challenging and transformative teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. Often, our natural human inclination is to love those who love us and resent those who cause us harm. However, this reflection calls us to a higher standard of radical love and forgiveness. By choosing to pray for our enemies...

"Good morning, good morning! Kicking off with a warm 'Howdy,' this podcast invites you to an insightful journey into the Gospel of St. Matthew. Join us as we explore the profound lessons from Chapter 5, the Sermon on the Mount, delving into what it truly means to live with deep virtue, manage anger, and prioritize reconciliation in God's eyes."

Jesus encourages us today in the gospel to ask, search, and knock on the door so that we receive, find and get the door opened. These are actions proper of a creature. A creature is a being that is finite. Man is a creature that seeks fulfillment and eternal happiness and joy. He needs to be completed. So he needs to ask, search and knock on the door to get to where he needs to while having the ul...

We are creatures who read signs. We seek their meanings and we strive to decipher them. We have this innate aspiration to look for happiness and complete fulfillment. So, we naturally seek the signs that will show us the way there. We need to acknowledge that not all signs lead to such blossoming of our being. There are lies, deceptive signs and such that only attract us but lead us elsewhere that...

At times, we know how to conduct ourselves to pray. We memorized those set prayers in our childhood, taught by our mothers and in grade school, in preparation for First Holy Communion. However, as we grow and are exposed to more complex systems and experiences, there are times we may say that we need to learn how to pray. Today, that is what the disciples of Jesus do. They ask Him how they are to...

Our Mother the Church makes us read the story Our dear Lord gave us about the Last Judgment. The king will gather everyone and group them like sheep and goats. He positioned the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then, he asked them what they did to him. They were puzzled by that questioning because they do not recall having encountered him. But the king surprises them. He identifies hi...

Today, let us learn what temptations are in relation to our relationship with Jesus and how to deal with them through our dear Lord's example.

Today is a great day to give thanks to God in a special way. He reveals that God is looking for sinners, and not the virtuous. That is tremendous consolation. Instinctively, we assume that we are not worthy of God because of our sins. On the contrary, he assures us that he searches for us to be with us sinners. Those who think they are not sinners don't have any need for God. That is a sobering th...

Fasting is a splendid form of penance. It is about voluntarily depriving ourselves of something that we naturally enjoy, like food, drink, sex, or the like. This form of sacrifice cures the attachments, disorder, and dissipation in our souls. Excessive indulgence in the enjoyments leaves in us a certain addiction or slavery to a creature. Depriving ourselves of such enjoyments straightens us up.

The gospel today encourages us to deeply consider our choices. The Lord puts himself as an example to us. He prophesies his own demise at the hands of his enemies but on the third day, he would return to life. He first gives his life so that we also give him ours. So, the gospel insists on our carrying our cross everyday to follow him. If he lost his life for us and our sins, he asks us also to lo...