RVA Daily Reflection

Inevitable Second Coming

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil"Living with Heaven in Sight: Preparing Our Hearts for Christ’s Return"Reflection Date: November 17, 2024 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings:  Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32
What’s the difference between someone who looks forward to heaven and someone who does not? The first lives beyond the present, while the second is consumed by the here and now. The first sees beyond the physical; the second is fixated on material things.
Today’s Gospel speaks of an inevitable truth beyond human knowledge—Christ’s second coming. While it describes how it will be when Christ returns, our human minds cannot fully grasp how or when it will happen.
So, how do we prepare for something we cannot fully comprehend? The first reading advises us to be wise and just. What does it mean to be wise and just? It means living as the responsorial psalm exhorts us, recognizing that the Lord alone is our inheritance—not the things we work for each day, like titles, money, property, recognition, power, beauty, or anything of this world.
When we recognize the Lord as our true inheritance, our hearts rejoice in Him alone. We abide in Him with confidence, fully trusting that He will not abandon us. We follow the path He has set for us, no matter the sacrifice it entails. This includes nurturing a forgiving heart aligned with the merciful heart of Jesus.
A call to action for Catholic living: When you look at your daily efforts and preoccupations, are they aligned with preparing for the inevitable second coming? Or are they merely focused on the here and now?

God Hears a Persistent Person

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil"The Power of Persistent Prayer: Trusting in God's Faithfulness"Reflection Date: November 16, 2024 Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: 3 John 5-8; Luke 18:1-8
If even a judge who neither feared God nor respected any human being can render a just decision to someone who persistently petitions him, how much more will God respond?
How beautifully reassuring this is! The Gospel tells us to be persistent in prayer because the Lord hears the prayers of His chosen ones.
How do we show persistence? The woman in the Gospel showed us. Despite the seemingly impossible odds of her request being granted, she kept returning to the judge. She was firm in her resolve to seek justice, despite the difficulty and great inconvenience.
A call to action for Catholic living: May we, too, have the persistence of this woman. May we remain steadfast in faith and prayer, no matter the challenges we face each day. May the assurance of God’s justice be our strength and hope.

Not ATM, but the Life After

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil"Living for Eternity: Finding Purpose Beyond the Here and Now"Reflection Date: November 15, 2024 Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time Daily Readings: 2 John 4-9; Luke 17:26-37
Today’s Gospel might seem to frown upon eating, celebrating, or engaging in everyday activities. Are we, then, not supposed to eat, get married, or work?
What the Gospel is actually reminding us is not to become so absorbed in worldly affairs that we neglect preparing ourselves to meet our Savior, who will come at a time only He knows. Unfortunately, we often become overly focused on the present, the “here and now”—or as some put it, “ATM,” meaning “At the moment.”
In the Christian context, the “here and now” should be a pathway to eternal life. The present moment doesn’t end with itself; our mindset should be that everything we do now connects us to eternal life with the Father.
The first reading warns us of the need to look inward so as not to lose what we have worked for but to receive a full recompense. We work daily to detach ourselves from material things, futile pursuits, and superficial connections so that we may be freer to love, serve, and be with Christ. This is our full recompense—a life with Christ.
A call to action for Catholic living: As we go about our daily responsibilities, may we always give priority to our relationship with Christ. May our focus on the present moment be directed toward those things that can bring us to eternal life.

Be Dispensers of Grace

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil "The Kingdom of God Is Here: Recognizing God's Presence Beyond Our Expectations"Reflection Date: November 14, 2024 Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Philemon 7-20; Luke 17:20-25
Besides death, we also do not know when the Kingdom of God will come. Both, however, are certain to happen.
So, it’s not really a question of when but rather a question of the reality of the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel, we are told that the Kingdom of God is already among us, yet we often fail to recognize it because we are looking for visible signs. This was something the Pharisees missed because they set their own expectations and definitions for the Kingdom of God. They failed to realize that the Kingdom was already among them.
This can happen to us as well. We search for God elsewhere based on our own self-serving definitions. We may think we don’t see Him in our suffering. We may believe that the Kingdom of God is only about pleasure and splendour. But we fail to realize that the key to the Kingdom of God is the cross—the great sacrifice of giving one’s life for the beloved.
A call to action for Catholic living: Do you embrace your cross with love? Do you see God in the sacrifices you make?

Truly Joyful, Truly Grateful

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil"True Joy and Gratitude: Recognizing God's Hand in Our Blessings"Reflection Date: November 13, 2024 Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary TimeMemorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, VirginDaily Readings: Titus 3:1-7; Luke 17:11-19
Gratitude is the language of a truly joyful heart. Of the ten lepers cured by Jesus, only one was truly joyful; only one returned to express his gratitude.
What does it mean to be truly joyful? To be truly joyful is to realize that every good thing we have, whether small or big, comes not only through our efforts and hard work but ultimately by the grace of God. When we are joyful, we can see that blessings abound, and it is then that we become grateful.
A person who is not truly joyful will always find something to complain about, no matter the blessings he or she receives. Such a person feels entitled to everything they have, which is dangerous because it leads to arrogance and ingratitude.
In the Gospel, Jesus told the leper who returned to express gratitude that his faith had cured him. Someone who has faith sees the Divine hand at work within them. Only when we see the Divine hand at work in our lives can we be truly joyful? A person may pray, just like the nine lepers, but it is only in gratitude that we demonstrate true faith.
A call to action for Catholic living: Do you truly have faith? Are you joyful or entitled? Are you grateful?

Joy is the Reward

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil "The True Reward: Finding Joy in Serving Without Expectation"Reflection Date: November 12, 2024 Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary TimeMemorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and MartyrDaily Readings: Titus 2: 1-8, 11-14; Luke 17: 7-10
In a world driven by recognition and reward—often framed as "what's in it for me?"—today’s Gospel serves as a valuable reminder. We are called to do our work, and to do good, without expecting any reward or recognition. 
The joy of serving the Lord comes from the work itself, which is its own reward. When we expect something in return for the good that we do, it diminishes the value of our actions.
We go to church not because we expect to receive something, but because we have already been abundantly blessed. This is why the Holy Mass is a thanksgiving. When we perform works of mercy, we are moved by love and willingness, not by the desire for recognition or reward. The joy of doing good is the reward itself.
A call to action for Catholic living: The first reading reminds us to be models of the faith we profess, always eager to do good. May it be so.

Care Enough

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilWilling to go out of our comfort zones to care Reflection Date: November 11, 2024 Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary TimeMemorial of Saint Martin of Tours, BishopDaily Readings: Titus 1:1-9; Luke 17:1-6
We very well know that when we do something bad ourselves, then we have sinned. Want we may not know or realize is that, we may be guilty of causing someone to sin. The Gospel today warns us against causing someone to sin. When we become the reason for someone to do bad, we have a big accountability for this.
We are accountable for each other so we are to be responsible for our actions such not to cause someone to sin. This speaks of our connectedness to each other, our mission to one another. We have been called to care for each other.
Parents are to be responsible parents making sure that they bring up children with great fear of the Lord. Friends are to influence each other to be good and not the other way around. The list goes on with every role that we play in life.
As equally important is the call to rebuke, but not to judge, and forgive others if they have sinned just as the Father forgives us each time we sin and repent. Not rebuking our brothers and sisters when they sin is not helping them grow in Christian maturity. 
While it is easier not to dip our fingers into other people’s affair, doing so is not living our Christian call to care for the souls of other people. Rebuking is pointing out the wrong of the other person and doing this out of love and concern.
Among the three, calls of the Gospel today, forgiving may be the hardest thing to do. Don’t we always focus on the pain that we experience and the trouble done to us? When we dwell on these, indeed, forgiving becomes impossible for us to do.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: But to someone who has faith, all these become possible for nothing is impossible to someone who allows God to work in him and through him. 
May we be willing to go out of our comfort zones to care for the health of the souls of others because this is not only a suggestion to us but a command for us to observe and live by.

Always with Love

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilOur part is to respond with loveReflection Date: November 10, 2024 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings:  1 Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44
When I was diagnosed with tumor in my brain in 2022, I knew I did not have the money for a surgery. I needed at least a million. But my priest friend told me to proceed with the surgery and let the Lord provide. 
I know that the Lord provides. He has provided for our Love the Poor Program for the past 10 years. I was skeptical, however, about being provided with what I needed.
News went around about my surgery. Help came without me asking. I had more than enough to pay my bills. I was overwhelmed with the generosity of people – my siblings, classmates, former officemates, former students and trainees, those I met in mission including this old cleaning lady who gave 200 pesos of her 1500 monthly income. That really hit me and I cried in gratitude.
This is what the readings today tell us. The Lord does not measure the amount of money or work that we do but by the sincerity and love by which we give and do what we give and do. Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” How much love for God do we put in every action that we do? How often are we motivated, not by selfish interests, but by genuine love?
Call to Action for Catholic Living: No matter the great love that we put in our work, the Lord is never outdone in generosity. Even before we are able to love Him, He has loved at first. This should be enough thought to keep us going even in difficult times. 
This should move us to rise above our fears and our what-ifs and embrace the mission that Christ calls us to do. The Lord is in charge. When He calls, He always provides. When He sends, He guides. Our part is to respond with love.

Be God’s Holy Temple

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilWe allow God to rebuild His temple in usReflection Date: November 9, 2024 Saturday of the Thirtieth-first Week in Ordinary TimeFeast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in RomeDaily Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. This such a significant feast to us Catholics because when centuries of persecution ended with Constantine's 313 edict granting Christians the right to publicly practice their faith, St. John Lateran became the first basilica where Christians were able to worship freely in public.
Today’s readings also speak of temples but not only the temple as the structure of the Lateran Basilica but Christ being the temple. Clearly, Jesus is the foundation of our Church. Without our faith deeply rooted in Him, all our church structures are nothing but buildings. 
Being followers of Christ, we are the temple of God because the Spirit of God dwells in us. How beautiful is that! We are holy people because God dwells in us.
Are we true to this beautiful identity? Is our life a reflection of this temple of God?
In the Gospel, Jesus was angry at the people who made a market place of the temple. When we sin, we do the same thing. We desecrate the temple of God in us. We destroy the holiness in us. The temple crumbles.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: How do we rebuild this temple in us? When we seek and receive God’s forgiveness, and with the grace of the Holy Spirit amend our lives, we allow God to rebuild His temple in us. 
May we be God’s public temples for others to experience His abundant love and mercy.

Prudent for Heaven

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil“Stand firm in the Lord’Reflection Date: November 8, 2024 Friday of the Thirtieth-first Week in Ordinary Time Daily Readings: Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 16:1-8
How seriously do you care for your spiritual need? Do you go at length to ensure your spiritual well-being or are you complacent not at all worried about it?
Why does it seem that Jesus was exalting the unjust steward for his shrewdness? The master in the parable is not praising the servant for his dishonesty but for his prudence, that is, he acted sensibly and took proper precautions to protect himself and ensure his future. He used his knowledge and judgment to make good decision for himself.
Jesus was sort of expressing His frustration that the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light. Jesus is like telling us ‘Why can’t you show more resolve and acumen in tending to your spiritual problems just like this unjust steward who did his best to resolve his problem and ensure his future?’
Truth to be told, if we look at the way we live each day of our life, are we being prudent as children of God? Are our efforts directed toward ensuring our spiritual nourishment or have we also become like the children of the world?
Call to Action for Catholic Living: The first reading reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. Therefore, our efforts should be directed towards heaven, not here. We can only do this if we heed what St. Paul tells us, “Stand firm in the Lord’.