RVA Daily Reflection

Choosing the Difficult Path

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilEmbrace sacrifice and holiness, trusting in God's promise of salvation. Reflection Date: December 26, 2024 Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyrDaily Readings: Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59; Matthew 10:17-22
When the way of the world is pleasure—pleasing the senses more than the soul—we see sacrifice as something ancient. Convenience becomes the symbol of the good life. But is it?
Today’s feast reminds us that being a true disciple of Christ is never easy. The readings also reflect this. Yet, we are reminded of God’s assurance that whoever endures to the end will be saved.
We are confronted with two choices: the easy path of the world, which leads to disgrace and damnation, or the difficult road of sacrifice towards holiness.
May we have the wisdom to choose the challenging path to holiness and hold on to the assurance of salvation.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Choose the challenging path to holiness over the easy way of the world, for true salvation lies in sacrifice and endurance.

Rejoicing in Christ

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilCelebrate Christmas with joy through encounter, sharing, and praise, with Christ in your heart!Reflection Date: December 25, 2024 The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)Daily Readings: Isaiah 62:11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20
The message of Christmas is always joy. How do we express joy? Today’s Gospel reading shows us how.
First, we express joy by going in haste to every opportunity to encounter Jesus, just as the shepherds did. There are many ways to encounter Jesus. We can experience His real presence at Mass. We can encounter Him in those who are hungry, sick, imprisoned, alone, or lost.
Second, we express joy by sharing the Good News with others through our words and actions. The stories we tell and our daily witness to God’s love through our deeds express the joy we carry in our hearts.
Third, we keep all things in our hearts, just as Mary did. A joyful heart cherishes good memories. A joyful heart remembers God’s goodness. When we recall His goodness, we are inspired to share that goodness with others. This is what Christmas is truly about—sharing God’s love and kindness.
Fourth, we express joy by glorifying and praising God. This is the highest form of expressing the joy of Christmas. Christmas is always about Christ.
May we celebrate this Christmas with true joy in our hearts—Jesus!
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Live the joy of Christmas by encountering Jesus, sharing His love, and glorifying Him daily.

Aligned with God’s Plan

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilTrue joy is found in trusting God's promises, aligning our plans with His, and patiently witnessing the beauty of His unfolding grace. Reflection Date: December 24, 2024 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of AdventDaily Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16;  Luke 1:67-79
Have you ever been so happy that you cannot contain your joy? This is not the euphoric feeling we experience at parties or concerts, dancing the night away and singing at the top of our voices. This is the joy that comes from realizing that God keeps His promises, no matter how unworthy we may be.
Today's Gospel speaks of God’s plan and promise. Yes, God has a beautiful plan for each of us. If we trust Him and cooperate with His plan, we will witness it unfold before our eyes. This is His promise: salvation from enemies, redemption from danger, and freedom to serve Him.
Often, however, we fail to align our plans with God’s. We pray, yet we insist on our own ways. We take matters into our own hands. We say we trust God, but we live life on our terms and conditions. This is why, despite our efforts and achievements, there is still an emptiness in our hearts, and true joy remains elusive.
May we find true joy by aligning our plans with God’s. May we also have the patience to wait for the unfolding of His promise.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Trust in God's plan, align your life with His will, and embrace the true joy that comes from His unwavering promises.

Rejoicing in Other’s Blessings

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilMay we rejoice in the blessings of others, free from envy, and grateful for the good they bring.Reflection Date: December 23, 2024 Monday of the Fourth Week of AdventDaily Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24; Luke 1:57-66
Today’s Gospel narrates the birth of John the Baptist and how Elizabeth’s relatives and neighbors rejoiced with her. They all recognized what had happened as a great favor from God.
This is such inspiring imagery—people rejoicing in the blessings someone else received. Unfortunately, we don’t often see this when people are crippled by envy. Sadly, this happens even among those who serve in the Church. Instead of rejoicing in the good others are able to do, some people spread rumors, seeking to destroy the good that others accomplished.
This is a chronic sickness that Pope Francis often speaks out against. We tend to focus on magnifying the bad news or inventing it, rather than rejoicing in the good news about others.
We pray that we may be open to the grace to rejoice in the blessings and good works of others. We pray that we learn to be grateful for others, not seeking their misery or misfortune.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Let us rejoice in the blessings and good works of others, fostering gratitude and unity, not envy or division.

Entitled Not, the Other Side

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilLike Elizabeth, may we see every blessing as a gift, not something we are entitled to, but a grace from God.Reflection Date: December 22, 2024 Fourth Sunday of AdventDaily Readings: Micah 5:1-4a; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45
There’s another side to entitlement, and that is the side of those who feel they have none. They think they are entitled to receive more, be the first to be attended to, or be helped simply because they have nothing.
I see a lot of this too – senior citizens acting arrogantly because of their age, or poor people breaking laws because they are poor and just trying to earn a living.
Our Gospel today, which is the same as yesterday’s, shows us Elizabeth not feeling this sense of entitlement. She didn’t think, “Well, I’m old and need assistance, so it’s only right that Mary, who is blessed among women, comes and visits to take care of me.”
Instead, Elizabeth recognized how blessed she was to be visited by the mother of her Lord. Elizabeth saw it as a great favor, not something she was entitled to.
We pray that, like Elizabeth, we may view every blessing we receive as a great favor and not as a reward for something we did or something we deserve. On our own, no matter how hard we work, we cannot do as much. Everything we have is a gift from God. We do not claim anything as our own. Everything is grace.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Like Elizabeth, may we recognize every blessing as a gift from God, not something we are entitled to.

Entitled Not

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilLike Mary, may we use our blessings to serve others, putting their needs before our own.Reflection Date: December 21, 2024 Saturday of the Third Week of AdventDaily Readings: Song of Songs 2:8-14 (or Zephaniah 3:14-18a); Luke 1:39-45
‘Entitlement’ – we hear a lot of this word today. Many feel entitled, either because of the titles before our names or the letters after them. We may feel entitled because we know someone with a title or are somewhat related to them. Our positions, too, give us a sense of entitlement. And don’t we just want to pose and sit beside someone in a position of authority, say a bishop or even a parish priest? Entitlement makes us feel we have the right to be ahead of or above everyone else.
Today’s Gospel speaks of the opposite of entitlement. Mary, having just received the news that she is going to be the mother of Jesus, our Savior, traveled to the hill country in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth and take care of her, having heard about Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age.
Mary could have set herself apart and demanded attention. After all, she was going to be the mother of Jesus. But Mary did not. She did not take her title to demand service, but to offer service to her cousin.
May we all learn from Mary. May we, who identify with Christ, live in selfless service to others. May we, who know Christ, be willing to put forward not our own interests, but the interests of those who need love and care. No true follower of Christ is entitled to anything at the expense of someone else. What we have should not only serve our interests but also the interests of the weak, the least, the lost, and the needy.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Follow Mary's example of selfless service—serve others with humility, putting their needs before your own.

Yes of Full Consent

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilLike Mary, may we ask God with humility and trust, always ready to say YES to His will.Reflection Date: December 20, 2024 Friday of the Third Week of AdventDaily Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38
We are all familiar with today’s Gospel story—an angel appears to Mary, telling her she is going to bear a Son, and she will name Him Jesus. Mary asks how this can be, the angel explains, and Mary says yes.
I would like to focus this reflection on Mary’s question, “How can this be?”
Was this a question of doubt or fear, or was it a question of humility? Did Mary feel unworthy of the great news being delivered to her? Or did she ask so she could understand something that she couldn’t grasp at that moment?
I’d like to think that Mary asked to understand so she could better cooperate and do what she was being asked to do. Her "yes" was not a yes out of fear, but a yes out of full consent and trust. She understood and trusted that everything was part of God’s plan and that God was in control.
What questions do we ask God? Do we ask to question Him, or do we ask so we can cooperate with Him? Do we ask out of frustration, or do we ask out of humility, open to whatever answer He gives us?
May we have the heart of Mary, ever ready to listen to and say YES to God’s message.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Ask God with humility and trust, be ready to listen and say YES to His will.

Hope in God’s Perfect Timing

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilMiracles happen in God's perfect timing. Let us continue to hope and trust, even when we can't see the outcome.Reflection Date: December 19, 2024 Thursday of the Third Week of AdventDaily Readings: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a; Luke 1:5-25
We hear of two similar miracles in today’s readings—two women, who by human standards were unable to conceive, became pregnant. One thing that is very clear in these miracle stories is that they did not expect it to happen on the day it did, and they may have already stopped hoping.
Another similarity between the two miracles is that they were communicated to them by messengers. The woman in the first reading seemed to immediately believe the messenger, while Zechariah was troubled, and fear came upon him.
We, too, pray for miracles. Many of us have been praying for a miracle for so long now. While some continue to hope and wait, others may have stopped praying and hoping.
Today’s readings remind us that miracles do happen. But as to when and what, we do not know. We are reminded not to stop hoping. Hope keeps our faith alive. Without faith, we become troubled and fearful. This is what happened to Zechariah. He had stopped hoping that Elizabeth would ever bear a child. That’s why, instead of joyfully welcoming the good news brought by the angel, he was troubled, and fear came upon him. The woman in the first reading, on the other hand, was overjoyed and immediately shared the good news with her husband.
The Lord sends us messengers each day of our lives. Someone may remind us to go to Mass or confession, point out our mistakes, ask for help, or invite us to join or give to an outreach. These are all messengers bringing us the opportunity to allow miracles to happen in our lives. What miracles are these? A change of heart, a change of perspective, a conversion.
May we continue to wait and hope - not based on our own schedules and wish lists, but always in God’s perfect timing.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: "Keep hoping and waiting in faith, trusting in God’s perfect timing for miracles in your life."

Perfect Obedience

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilJoseph's trust in God led to perfect obedience. This Advent, may we surrender our will to the Father, without conditions.Reflection Date: December 18, 2024 Wednesday of the Third Week of AdventDaily Readings: Jeremiah 23:5-8; Matthew 1:18-25
Today’s Gospel is one of the few accounts that features Joseph. We hear of Joseph’s plan, but with just one word from God, he set aside his own plan to obey God’s command. Joseph’s obedience was perfect. He did not ask for an explanation. He did not doubt. He did not set conditions or ask for anything in return. He simply did what he was told—perfect obedience.
What enabled Joseph to offer such perfect obedience? Was it because he had no other choice? Was it because he loved Mary? Or was it because he wanted to avoid trouble?
Joseph’s perfect obedience was not due to any of these reasons but because of his trust in God. He had full confidence in God’s plan. Joseph was a man of deep faith. It takes great faith to place one’s life entirely in God’s hands, and that is exactly what Joseph did.
For us, however, our faith often becomes mere lip service. While we profess our faith in God, declaring our love and willingness to obey, we often attach conditions. We say, “I believe, but only if…” or “I will obey, but only when…” Our obedience is conditional, situational, and circumstantial.
May the spirit of Advent move our hearts toward perfect obedience. May we truly learn to subordinate our will to the will of the Father?
A Call to Action for Catholic Living:"Trust God fully and obey His will without hesitation."

Family Matter

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil"Jesus, from a lineage of both holy and unholy people, reminds us that our families shape our faith—are we nurturing it or letting modern influences take over?"Reflection Date: December 17, 2024 Tuesday of the Third Week of AdventDaily Readings: Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Matthew 1:1-17
Jesus belongs to a long lineage of both holy and unholy men and women. He was brought up by a holy human father, Joseph, and a holy human mother, Mary.
We, too, have our own families. I belong to the fourth generation. I can say that my grandfather, Obal, was a good man. Everyone in town spoke well of him. He was a man of the Church. He had seven sons, one of whom was Alejo. I remember that, as kids, we were often referred to as the "daughters of Sir Alex," as my father was fondly called. It was in my family that I was nurtured in faith.
How are our families these days? Do they still serve as the seedbed of our faith, or have they given in to the stronger influence of social media? Have we handed over the task of raising our children to artificial intelligence? What kind of parents are raising children today, and what kind of children are these parents raising?
When we were baptized, we became part of a larger family—Christ’s family. As members of this family, we are called to care for one another, especially the weak and the lost. We are to ensure that each member is nurtured in faith and well-being. Many members of our family are hungry, hurting, sick, and in need of care and attention.
We belong to God’s family. May we strive to nurture faith in our own families as well as in the family of all the baptized, so that when the time comes, we will all rejoice as one big family in heaven with our Father.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Strengthen faith in your family, care for the weak, and live as true members of God’s family."