Daughters of St Paul | Daily Gospel Reflections

 Jer 1:1, 4-10 Gospel Mt 13:1-9 On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” Reflection: Today the Lord gives us the parable of the sower and the seeds for our reflection. Seeds fall on different kinds of soils. What happens to the seed depends on the kind of soil on which it falls. The rocky and thorny grounds do not give the seed a chanc

 Mi 7:14-15, 18-20 Gospel Mt 12:46-50 While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Reflection: Mary our Mother is one unique person in the human history of salvation. When she said “Yes” to the will of God Mary perhaps did not fully know how much she would have to suffer to live that yes. At one of the greatest moments in the history of the human race, when the Word became flesh in the womb of Mary, she could only surrender herself to that divine will and sing the Magnificat. No other human has ever dared to proclaim like Mary that she will be remembered fo

 Sgs 3:1-4B or  2 COR 5:14-17 Gospel Jn 20:1-2, 11-18 On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him." Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried

 Jer 23:1-6, Eph 2:13-18 Gospel Mk 6:30-34 The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Reflection: By calling the apostles to “rest a while,” Jesus is giving them a chance to “recharge” or “reorient.” While physical rest is needed after an arduous mission, what is more important is the privileged time and space to attune oneself to God so that one’s actions will once again be in keeping with his will. Human being

 Mi 2:1-5 Gospel Mt 12:14-21 The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope. Reflection: Jesus the powerful son of God, withdraws from the district because of the Pharisees who, instead of accepting him and being saved, were plotting to kill him. He went around preaching and healing the sick and driving out devils. Here we see that, unlike the Pharisees, the outcasts, the so-call

Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 Gospel Mt 12:1-8 Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath." He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."  Reflection: What was the purpose of keeping the Sabbath? It was a day set apart for people to remember God their Crea

Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19  Gospel Mt 11:28-30 Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Reflection: We have indeed a wonderful God who understands us and comes to listen our burden in moments of our sorrows and difficulties! He knows we are weak and are often overburdened. That’s why he invites us to come to him:”Come to me…and I will refresh you.” But how often his people forget this and go after others and other things hoping to get some help. But experience teaches them and us, too, that others are of no help. Only Jesus can help us. Whatever may be your burdens; sins or any other problems, don’t worry; turn to Jesus, trust in him and repent; he is full of mercy and compassion and he will forgive you; he will help you and strengthen you. He is the all powerful one who loves you