RVA Daily Reflection

Will You Say Yes?

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilThe Church’s mission is far greater than we often see. We’re not just recipients of God’s love—we’re called to share it. Are we ready to answer the call?Reflection Date: December 7, 2024 Saturday of the First Week of AdventMemorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the ChurchDaily Readings: 30:19-21, 23-26; Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
One Sunday, about five youths and I went to a barrio chapel for catechism. When we arrived, there were only five children. We asked, "Are these the only children here?" We were told that there were many more. So, we went out and called the children—some were on the streets, some were at home, and a number were by the seashore and at the covered court.
When they had assembled inside the chapel, there was no space left. There were more than 300 children. We then had a "good problem"—we had gathered far more than we could handle.
When we look at the Church, it may seem like the work is easy. The priest says Mass, and the people attend. But there is much more to it than meets the eye. The problem is that most of us want to work only where we are compensated and recognized. Very few respond to the Church's continuous invitation to mission work.
Today’s Gospel reminds us of the great mission to which we are all invited to partake. We are not just spectators. We are not only recipients of God’s love and mercy; we are also called to be dispensers of that love and mercy.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Answering the call to mission. We are not just recipients of God's love; we are called to share it. Step beyond recognition and compensation—serve others with the love and mercy God has given us.

Trust in God’s Timing

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilDo you trust God's timing? Persistence in faith, like the blind men in today’s Gospel, shows us that good will triumph in God's perfect time.Reflection Date: December 6, 2024 Friday of the First Week of AdventDaily Readings: Isaiah 29:17-24; Matthew 9:27-31
Do you sometimes feel that God is not listening? Do you wonder why evil seems to dominate what’s happening around us?
This happens when we view things based on our own timing and standards. The first reading today reassures us that, in the end—God’s time—the good will triumph over evil, and those who have faith will be rewarded.
Today’s Gospel shows us how the two blind men called out and waited for Jesus to notice them. I’m sure this wasn’t the first time they had prayed to see. When they saw Jesus on the street, they cried out to Him and followed Him wherever He went. Even when Jesus entered the house, they called out to Him again. Their persistence did not escape Jesus.
Do you have faith? Can you wait? Do you trust God's timing? Are we persistent, or do we succumb to frustration and impatience?
May we have the heart to wait and the faith to trust in God’s perfect timing.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Trust in God’s timing and persist in faith. Even when it feels like He’s not listening, keep calling out, keep waiting, and believe that His plan is unfolding perfectly.

Action Speaks the Loudest of Faith

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilFaith without action is incomplete. To truly live our faith, we must listen to God’s Word and act upon it. Are we ready to be both believers and doers?Reflection Date: December 5, 2024 Thursday of the First Week of AdventDaily Readings: Isaiah 26:1-6; Matthew 7:21, 24-27
It is crystal clear in today’s Gospel that it is not enough to simply believe and profess our faith. Jesus is telling us to act on our faith.
But first, we must listen to the Word of God, as it sets the right direction for our actions. Action alone, without the Word of God, is merely human effort and is therefore bound to fail. It’s like traveling without a map or GPS or trying to assemble a complicated gadget without reading the manual.
This means that faith and action are inseparable. We cannot believe without acting, and we cannot act without believing.
Do we listen to the Word of God and act on it? Do we profess our faith and live it? May we be both believers and people of faith in action.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Let us not just profess our faith but live it through action. Today, let’s listen to God’s Word and let it guide us every step. Faith and action go hand in hand. Be a believer who acts with love and purpose.

Be Moved with Pity

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilCompassion is more than a feeling, it's an action. Jesus was moved by pity in today’s Gospel. Are we willing to do the same for others, just as God has done for us?Reflection Date: December 4, 2024 Wednesday of the First Week of AdventDaily Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10; Matthew 15:29-37
A hardened heart—this is what many of us have. We claim to feel for others, yet we are often unmoved to even lift a finger to help. Worse, some of us are unable to feel for others at all. Compassion seems to have become a strange word in today’s world.
In today’s Gospel, we hear about Jesus being moved by his pity. This is the essence of true compassion. There is a significant difference between simply feeling pity and being moved by pity. Pity is when we observe someone in a difficult or despicable situation but do nothing. Being moved by pity, or having compassion, goes beyond mere observation or feeling—it involves taking action to help, even when no one asks us to.
We have all been recipients of God’s compassion in countless ways. May we also become dispensers of that same compassion, not because someone deserves it, but because God has shown compassion to us despite our unworthiness.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Let us not just feel for others, but be moved to act with compassion. Just as God has shown us mercy despite our unworthiness, may we extend the same kindness to those around us. Today, choose to be a dispenser of God’s compassion.

Who rules you?

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilWhat blinds or deafens us? Only the Lord can open our eyes and ears to what truly matters—if we let Him rule our hearts. Who truly rules your life?Reflection Date: December 3, 2024 Tuesday of the First Week of AdventMemorial of Saint Francis Xavier, PriestDaily Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 10:21-24
What blinds or deafens us? What enables us to see or hear?
Today’s Gospel reminds us that it is only the Lord who enables us to see what we need to see and hear what we need to hear. However, there is a condition – we must allow Him to rule over us.
Our stubbornness, pride, selfish interests, and attachment to worldly things prevent us from seeing and hearing rightly. Such blindness and deafness lead us from one mistake to another. This is what true emptiness looks like when we are so full of ourselves. We are empty of what truly matters.
Who truly rules your life?
May we have the eyes to see what we ought to see and the ears to hear what we ought to hear. Let us allow the Lord to truly rule over us.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: "Open your heart to the Lord’s guidance. Let go of pride and worldly attachments. Allow Him to rule your life, so you may see clearly, hear rightly, and live fully in His grace."

Made Worthy by God

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilTrue faith humbles us before God, recognizing that all is grace. Let us use what we have, not for ourselves alone, but to serve others—especially those in need.Reflection Date: December 2, 2024 Monday of the First Week of AdventDaily Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 8:5-11
We have nothing to brag about before the Lord—none of our achievements, positions, titles, or possessions. But the Lord exalts a person of faith.
Who is a person of faith?
The Gospel tells us that a person of faith bows before God, no matter the power or wealth they possess. A person of faith acknowledges that it is His love and mercy that makes us worthy to stand before Him. Indeed, everything is grace. We are just stewards. The works of our hands are made worthy by the love and mercy of God.
Being so, whatever we have, whatever we can do, should not only benefit us but also others, especially those in need.
Do you bow before the Lord? Will the Lord invite us to His banquet because we have been men and women of faith?
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Humbly acknowledge God's grace in your life. Let your gifts and actions not only serve you but also others, especially those in need. Live with faith, and seek to be invited to the Lord's banquet through humble service and love.

Giving as Sacrifice, not out of Excess

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilAs we wait, let us do so with hope, vigilance, and readiness. Align your heart with holiness, stay prayerful, and eagerly anticipate the redemption that is at hand.Reflection Date: December 1, 2024 First Sunday of AdventDaily Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
We all wait for something or someone. Depending on what or who we are waiting for, we can either feel excited or anxious.
How do we wait? Better yet, how should we wait? Let us count the ways according to the Gospel today.
First, the Gospel says, “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” This tells us to wait with hope, which translates to excitement and eagerness, not stress and anxiety. But this is only possible if we truly believe and have aligned our lives with what we are waiting for. Why are many of us afraid of what is to come instead of rejoicing? It is because we are not ready. It is because we know that we have wasted our lives on something else.
This leads to the second point. The Gospel tells us to beware that our hearts do not become drowsy from carousing, drunkenness, and the anxieties of daily life. Are our hearts attuned to the call for holiness, or are they too attached to the world?
Third, we should be vigilant at all times. I call this Christian readiness, which we can nurture by regularly receiving the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Fourth, we are exhorted to pray that we may have the strength to escape the tribulations that obstruct our way to holiness.
As Christians, we wait with hope and joy. We wait with grateful anticipation. May we always exclaim, “To You, O Lord, I lift my soul,” to strengthen our hearts and be blameless in holiness before God.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Wait with hope and joy, aligning your life with God’s will. Stay vigilant, nourish your faith through the Eucharist and Reconciliation, and pray for strength to overcome life's trials. Let your heart be attuned to holiness as you await the coming of the Lord.

Now, not Later

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilWe are called to live our mission now, not later—nurturing, professing, and acting on our faith. Through daily encounters and acts of kindness, we proclaim the Good News to the world. Let us answer the call with the same promptness as the apostles.Reflection Date: November 30, 2024 Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary TimeFeast of Saint Andrew, ApostleDaily Readings: Romans 10:9-18; Matthew 4:18-22
Today’s readings show us the right response and behavior towards every opportunity to live our mission: nurturing our faith, professing it, and acting on it. The timing is also significant; it is now, not later or when it is convenient.
 
How have we been nurturing our faith? What are we feeding our souls with? How beautiful it is that in the Catholic Church, we have daily opportunities to nurture our faith and feed our souls through the Holy Eucharist. What could be better than that?
 
At the end of each Mass, we are sent to proclaim the Good News in both words and deeds. When we proclaim the Good News, we profess our faith to the world. While not all of us can preach in words, we can all preach loudly by witnessing our faith in our daily encounters with others. Acts of kindness, generosity, compassion, and forgiveness speak loudly of the faith that we profess.
We have all been called to our mission—to profess our faith and live it among others, especially the lost and the poor, both spiritually and materially. Like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, may we be prompt in answering this call.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: Nurture your faith daily through the Eucharist, and live it boldly in your actions. Proclaim the Good News not just with words, but through kindness, generosity, and compassion. Answer the call to mission—serve others and share your faith with the world.

Remain in Christ

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilIn the face of chaos and struggle, Jesus assures us that His words remain eternal. Though the world changes, our hope in Christ brings us through, for only in Him will we find lasting peace.Reflection Date: November 29, 2024 Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Daily Readings: Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:2; Luke 21:29-33
After the rain, the sun shines. When the night is over, a new morning dawns. This is the life cycle of a Christian. We are all called to walk the way of Jesus, the way of the cross, and share in His resurrection.
After describing the chaotic and terrifying inevitable end, and how everything will pass away, Jesus assures us that the Kingdom of God is near. In the Gospel, He points out that His words will not pass away. Despite an ever-changing world, what God has spoken remains.
So, all these terrors of the world will come to an end. Our struggles, our difficulties, our woes, and our worries will also pass.
But only if we remain in Christ.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: In the face of life's trials and the frightening uncertainty of the end, stand firm in your faith. Trust in Christ’s promise of redemption, and let His strength guide you. Do not let fear or hardship shake your hope—keep walking the path to salvation, knowing that with Christ, your redemption is assured.

Salvation is at Hand

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilAmidst the fear and chaos of the inevitable end, Christ promises redemption. Instead of losing faith in the face of hardship, let us walk confidently toward salvation, with Christ as our strength.Reflection Date: November 28, 2024 Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9A; Luke 21:20-28
Today’s readings continue to speak of the inevitable end, which seems filled with horror and chaos. Who would not tremble in fear just imagining what has been described in today’s readings?
However, towards the end of the readings, there is a great assurance that redemption is at hand. A believer who has fulfilled his mission will not tremble in fear but will rejoice, knowing that his redemption is near.
While the inevitable end may seem too frightening to imagine, we can hold on to the certainty of Christ’s promise of redemption.
Instead of focusing on and losing faith because of the tragedies or difficulties we experience, we should stand up and walk the path to salvation, with Christ as our only source of strength.
A Call to Action for Catholic Living: In the face of life's trials and the frightening uncertainty of the end, stand firm in your faith. Trust in Christ’s promise of redemption, and let His strength guide you. Do not let fear or hardship shake your hope—keep walking the path to salvation, knowing that with Christ, your redemption is assured.