Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses left devastating damage in the Philippines as 2020 ended. As Ondoy survivors, we couldn’t just turn a blind eye to what was happening. We revived our outreach movement that we started in 2013 to raise funds for Bohol earthquake victims. Since then, we’ve been helping calamity-stricken fellowmen in any way we can. We named our movement “Love Forward.”

This time, our goal was to raise P50,000 to give immediate assistance in Rizal and Catanduanes. To our surprise, love and donations overflowed! We received double our goal in just two days. We were able to share to Cagayan and Bulacan typhoon victims too. Our donors’ generosity resulted to more than 450 relief packs, thousands of cash donations, face masks, bottled water, and hundreds of additional banig and cupcakes. It was all through God’s grace, all for His glory.

No matter how often I witness it, I’m still left in awe at God’s amazing works. Small acts of love do create a huge impact. Even the smallest acts of kindness can reflect His great love. Maymay Salvosa Trinidad (christiane.trinidad@gmail.com)

reflect

What’s the most amazing thing God has done for you? Reflect, relive, and believe He will do even more wondrous deeds ahead.

Father, thank You for the miracles in the past and those yet to come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

St. Rupert of Salzburg, pray for us.

A person with true faith knows that God has everything under control and will not worry so much. Even though the death of Jesus seems to be the definitive victory of sin over goodness, the Father says, “Wait a minute” and then raises Him from the dead. This is the victory that humanity has been waiting for since the original sin. It marks the end of the reign of sin and the beginning of the reign of goodness.

⁹ Rejoice, O young man, while you are young and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart, the vision of your eyes; yet understand that as regards all this God will bring you to judgment. ¹⁰ Ward off grief from your heart and put away trouble from your presence, though the dawn of youth is fleeting. 12:¹ Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, And the years approach of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them; ² before the sun is darkened, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, while the clouds return after the rain. ³ When the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders are idle because they are few, and they who look through the windows grow blind. ⁴ When the doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the mill is low; when one waits for the chirp of a bird, but all the daughters of song are suppressed. ⁵ And one fears heights, and perils in the street. When the almond tree blooms, and the locust grow sluggish and the caper berry is without effect, because man goes to his lasting home, and mourners go about the streets. ⁶ Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the broken pulley falls into the well, ⁷ And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it. ⁸ Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17

R: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

³ You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” ⁴ For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) ⁵ You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, ⁶ which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) ¹⁴ Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. ¹⁷ And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! (R)

Gospel | Luke 9:43-45

Jesus affirms that there are dark times ahead for Him and the Apostles. Fear entered the hearts of the Apostles. They did not fully understand what Jesus meant, but they persevered in following Him to the cross. Each of them, except John, would be called to sacrifice their lives for the Gospel. They followed Jesus to the end.

Gospel Acclamation

Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.

⁴³ While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, ⁴⁴ “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” ⁴⁵ But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Read the Bible in one year! Read EZEKIEL 1 - 4 today.

In a homily, Pope Francis told the congregation gathered for morning Mass at Domus Sanctae Marthae “to reflect on their final farewell from earthly life and on whether they are prepared to entrust themselves and all they will leave behind to God.” The Pope reflected on the day’s readings in which Jesus, after speaking to His disciples of His imminent departure for the Father, prays “the hour has come” (John 17:1-11a), and in which Saint Paul gathers with the elders of Ephesus before leaving for Jerusalem (Acts 20:17-27).

We can call it a spirituality of leave-taking, the ability to say goodbyes. Every life involves many leave-takings, both great and small, the Pope said, and some involve “many tears” and “much suffering.” Ultimately, this leave-taking reaches a finality “which everyone will face, when the Lord calls us to the other side.” It is noteworthy that adieu, adios, addio—different words for goodbye—literally mean “to God.” When we bid our goodbyes, we express an attitude of surrender to God. “To entrust to the Father, to entrust to God: this is the origin of the word ‘adieu,’” the Pope said. “We say ‘adieu’ only in the great leave-takings in life, whether in life or the final one.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives a cryptic adieu to the disciples: “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” The First Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes also speaks of spiritual leave-taking: “Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.” This is not a stoic flee-the-world attitude but one that springs from a deep realization and appreciation of the fleeting character of life. Because life is fleeting, we are encouraged to number our days and make everything count until “the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity.”

To treasure every fleeting moment is to sprinkle it with a tinge of eternity. When we treasure every single moment, we move from a mere mathematical experience of time to a lived experience of time. Only lived experiences create memories. Lived experiences are eternity in time. Fr. Joel O. Jason

reflection questions

Are you prepared to entrust yourself and your loved ones to God?

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Amen.” (Psalm 90:12)

Today, I pray for: _________________________________________________________