Some people are honestly ignorant of the demands of the Gospel because they have never heard it proclaimed. Also, their cultural upbringing may have been deficient in terms of morality. However, we who have heard the Gospel and who know right from wrong have no excuse to continue living in the darkness of sin. We cannot claim ignorance of the truth, and thus, we have a responsibility to be a witness to others concerning the life of faith.

¹ Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. ² For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. ³ When people are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. 5For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. ⁶ Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. ⁹ For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

R: I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) ⁴ One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple. (R) ¹³ I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. (R)  

Gospel | Luke 4:31-37

Jesus drives out demons from a man. Similarly, we need to drive out the false ideas that often govern our society, where faith is scorned in the face of scientific developments. How quickly the world forgets that without monastic schools, there would be no science today. It was in the monasteries that the first scientists plied their trade.

Gospel Acclamation

A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

³¹ Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, ³² and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, ³⁴ “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. ³⁶ They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” ³⁷ And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Reflect:

“The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. Science brings men nearer to God.” (Louis Pasteur)

Read the Bible in one year! Read JEREMIAH 4 - 6 today.artyr, pray for us.

There is no place for freeloaders in the Kingdom of God and in our Christian communities. No one should enjoy the benefits of membership in any society without the responsibility of contributing to it. Paul is addressing this issue in the Thessalonian community. According to him, if a person does not work, then he has no right to eat. 

¹³ We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore, console one another with these words.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 96:1, 3, 4-5, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord comes to judge the earth.

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands. ³ Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) ⁴ For great is the Lord and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. ⁵ For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the Lord made the heavens. (R) ¹¹ Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; ¹² let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then shall all the trees of the forest exult. (R) ¹³ Before the Lord, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy. (R)

Gospel | Luke 4:16-30

Jesus announces His Gospel ministry at the synagogue in Capernaum. He reads a text from Isaiah that traditionally refers to the Messiah and claims that He is its fulfillment. As we read through Luke’s Gospel, let us remember the text and the times Jesus acted in fulfillment of the prophecy. The people may doubt Jesus’ identity at the start of His ministry, but evidence of the truth becomes apparent over the next three years.

Gospel Acclamation

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

¹⁶ Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read ¹⁷ and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: ¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. ²⁰ Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. ²¹ He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” ²³ He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” ²⁴ And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. ²⁵ Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. ²⁶ It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. ²⁷ Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. ²⁹ They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. ³⁰ But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Reflect:

Have you ever doubted the identity of Jesus? Why or why not?

Read the Bible in one year! Read JEREMIAH 1 - 3 today.

The early Christians, like the Thessalonians, were so concerned with Christ’s Second Coming or parousia. They were wondering who would go to heaven first—those still alive or have remained and stayed, or those who have died and have left this world. It is exactly the opposite today, when many Christians do not care at all if He comes or not.

As you read this, pause and thank God for staying with you throughout the night. There are those who went to bed last night and never woke up, or perhaps still asleep, totally unaware they have had a stroke, and are now in the ICU. It does not mean, though, that God left those who had died or fighting for their lives. It does not really matter whether God comes or leaves, stays or returns because He is perfect presence.

Today is the first day of the “ber” months. People, especially Filipinos, become preoccupied with all things Christmas. That’s the problem with many of us—we are so concerned either with the future or the past, but not with the present moment, with the “here and now” where God is.

As a hospital chaplain for four years, I have experienced the reality of my own mortality, of life’s fragility. Anything can happen to make us sick and disabled—or worse, die. To me, having bucket lists is a waste. We think of what to do in the future that has not come yet, when the present moment is filled with many things to do. What I suggest is to stop thinking what else you can do in the future and to think more of worthwhile things you can do now so that if ever you suddenly die, you leave something that others may continue doing because it is enriching and fulfilling.

Fr. Nick Lalog

reflection question

How is Christ present and active in your life at the moment?

Dear God, forgive me for not always being mindful of Your presence in my life. May I always live each day in Your company. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________