RVA Daily Reflection

You Matter

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilYou matter,’ so hold your chin up highReflection Date: November 7, 2024 Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Philippians 3:3-8A; Luke 15:1-10
The Gospel today sends out a very strong beautiful message, ‘you matter’, ‘you are important’ and ‘you are special’ that Christ chose to come and ‘find you’.
How beautiful is that! You and I are equally important and so with everyone else. In a number-game world, it could be the opposite. The world can always easily discard us, get rid of us or would not even notice us if we are just a small fraction of the equation. Yes, we can be here and there but the world may not even notice or care unless we are useful.
Sadly, we often give more value and exert more effort to get noticed by the world. Don’t we love to adapt to and adopt the ways of the world to get noticed? We go with the trend, often giving up our values just so we get the attention of others—so we matter to them. This is why we spend all our efforts in futile pursuit to matter to others. But do we really? Maybe, while we are of use to them.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: Let it sink deep within our hearts how special we are in the eyes of God that He sent His only begotten Son to look for us again and again. Remember this, ‘you matter’ so hold your chin up high.

Tall Order but Saves

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilThe Lord gives us a tall orderReflection Date: November 6, 2024 Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Philippians 2:12-18; Luke 14:25-33
I am certain that the first thought that comes to mind when one reads the Gospel today is this, “What a harsh order it is to hate my father, mother, wife, children and practically everyone that I love!”.  Or, “I thought God commanded me to honor my father and mother?”. 
Indeed, a tall order. But this is not a contradiction of the commandments. It is a reiteration of the commandments, particularly the first which tells us, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” It tells us to put God first. The First Commandment lays an essential foundation that all the other commandments build upon and this is what the Gospel today is also telling us. We cannot be true disciples of Jesus, we cannot truly love Him, unless we leave everything behind first.
Look at all our reasons why we are not able to truly serve Him. Aren’t these all related to our other commitments and preoccupations? 
The beautiful thing about following God first and leaving everything else behind is that all these that we left behind for God would also fall into their places. When we put God first, He takes care of all our other worries and concerns. How beautiful is that!
Call to Action for Catholic Living: The Lord gives us a tall order. But let us trust His process and allow Him to do wonders in our lives. When we carry our cross, we carry it not with grumbling, but with joy that we share in the suffering of Christ. It is when we walk the way of the cross that we also walk the way to life everlasting.

RSVP with a Yes

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilSay yes to God’s invitationReflection Date: November 5, 2024 Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 14:15-24
The imagery of today’s Gospel is something very familiar to us. There’s a special banquet and people have been invited to it. However, each one had a reason to decline the invitation.
I liken the banquet to God’s invitation for us to the Eucharist where we can experience His real presence. But just like those who turned down the invitation in the Gospel for personal reasons, many of us also fail to attend mass because of our personal reasons.
There are many other occasions when we turn down God’s invitation. When we’d rather go to the beach, do our chores, attend a party, or do something else than attend a recollection or an outreach or catechesis, we are actually turning down an opportunity to encounter Christ.
I remember how we promoted our Couple’s Recollection in the parish then but only 10 couples out of hundreds of couples came. Each had a reason for not attending. However, many were present during a political rally where grocery packs were distributed. 
Each day, the Lord invites us to a banquet with Him through different mission opportunities. Do we hear his invitation? Do we say yes to it or are we like the people in the Gospel who did not ran out of alibis? 
Call to Action for Catholic Living: May we not regret too late turning down all the opportunities to be with the Lord. Instead, may we learn to set aside our personal reasons, cares and concerns so we can say yes to God’s invitation.

Be Dispensers of Grace

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilCall to be channels of grace, offering our blessings to those with nothing in returnReflection Date: November 4, 2024 Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary TimeMemorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, BishopDaily Readings: Philippians 2:1-4; Luke 14:12-14
How easy it is to lavish gifts with those we love but those we don’t, we can’t even give a morsel of our extras.
My daughter grew up celebrating her birthdays with the children of Love for Joy, an orphanage under the care of the Sisters of Charity. Our reason is simple – her friends already have so much spaghetti, burger, ice cream and cake.
This is also the same reason that my friend priest would turn down dinner invitations from rich parishioners. He would always say that they invite their poor neighbors instead. When they send food to the convent, more than they can consume, he would call the beggars and give the food to them. One time someone commented that the food is meant for him and not for the beggars. He replied that he didn’t need the food, the beggars do.
Do you give to those who can give you something back – something like an exchange gift or do you give to those who have nothing to give you in return? 
Call to Action for Catholic Living:  This is the call of the Gospel today – that we become channels of God’s grace not hoarders. We are called to be dispensers of grace to those who are most in need rather than share our blessings also to those who have already so much

True Love of God

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilTo love God is to give Him our allReflection Date: November 3, 2024 Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings:  Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28b-34
How do we love God?
Our readings today show us how. We love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength. In short, no ifs and no buts, not seasonal or situational. To love God is to love Him alone because when we do love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength things will fall into their proper places.
In all our actions and decisions then, we put God as the focus. When we keep our gaze on God, we will put our priorities in order thus ordering our decisions, choices, and actions. With such, there would be no confusion, conflict or error.
The problem is that while we profess our love of God, it is but usually a mere utterance. We love God but we put aside going to mass because we have something else to do. We love God but we don’t see and hear the pleadings of our poor brethren. We love God but we continue to insist on what we want. We love God but we only do what pleases us and is convenient to us and label the rest such as modesty, integrity, meekness, humility and forgiving as conditional or things of the past. We love God but we look at His law as optional.
So, it’s not true that we love God. Instead, we love ourselves – our ego, our pride.
Call to Action for Catholic Living:  Today, we are called to love God not according to our needs, situations or standards, but love Him as He loves us – whole, full, selfless and unconditional. This love that we profess for God is best seen and measured by the way we love others, especially those who cannot love us back

Live with Christ

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilGod calls us to be holy in our thoughts, words, and deedsReflection Date: November 2, 2024 Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary TimeThe Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)Daily Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Romans 6:3-9; John 6:37-40
We know that death is inevitable but we wish it never comes. We have different reasons for not wanting to die but mostly these boil down to fear of what happens in the process of dying and after. 
Today’s feast and readings speak of life beyond this earthly life – a life in the hands of God where there is no torment, only peace. This was Christ’s mission – to offer His life so that we may have life everlasting. 
Life everlasting then has been offered to all and that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life and shall be raised on the last day.
What does seeing the Son and believing in Him mean? The second reading tells us – to live a newness of life. It is not enough that we have been baptized. We need to live this newness of life each day of our earthly life. 
Call to Action for Catholic Living:  This is the daily call of someone who has been baptized into Christ – to be holy in thoughts, words and deeds. Our life should be a reflection of one who has been ransomed by the blood of Christ. If we live with Christ, death will have no power over us. 

Who is blessed?

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilImage of blessedness—one marked by humility and spiritual hungerReflection Date: November 1, 2024 Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Solemnity of All SaintsDaily Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a
Have you ever told someone that he is ‘blessed’? Was it because you see abundance in his life? Was it because he is successful?
Today’s Gospel paints to us different images of someone who is blessed – definitely nothing that speaks of material abundance, convenience, fame or power. Rather, a blessed person is poor in spirit; he mourns and is meek, hungry and thirsty. A blessed person is persecuted.
All these are reflective of the lives of the saints. They gave up their own conveniences, material abundance and ego so Christ can fill their life with spiritual blessings that kept them strong amidst persecutions, at peace despite troubles and insults, and joyful despite sorrows and pains. 
Call to Action for Catholic Living:  How about us? Today, we are being reminded and called to live the beatitudes if we were to inherit heaven. As children of God, our call is to live a life of blessedness, always longing to see God’s face. We are all saints in the making. 

Steadfast and Unafraid

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilSteadfast and Unafraid Reflection Date: October 31, 2024 Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Ephesians 6:10-20; Luke 13:31-35
Jesus was undeterred despite the warning given to Him. He encountered oppositions but He was undaunted. He kept His eyes focus on His mission.
I remember how many times I was warned before I went to Marawi to facilitate a Catholic Youth encounter. I was told that it was not safe. My reply was simple, ‘if I die there, at least, I’d die doing Christ’s mission’.
The irony in life today is that it is when we do good that we encounter a lot of challenges and oppositions. I see this a lot in all sectors in our society, including the Church. If one is not grounded on Christ, it’s so easy to be carried away. It’s easier to go with the flow of the world and get lured by the tactics of Satan than go against it.  
So how do we remain undeterred and undaunted like Jesus? How can we remain steadfast in Spirit and focus?
Call to Action for Catholic Living:  The first reading tells us to draw our strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. When we put on the armor of God, we are able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. 

Knock, knock!

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilThe true call  leads others to the Father through ChristReflection Date: October 30, 2024 Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Ephesians 5:21-33; Luke 13:22-30
When someone knocks by your door, do you let him in? I am sure that you’d say, “It depends. If we are good friends, I would. If not, even if I knew him, I wouldn’t.”
Why wouldn’t you? The answer is simple – ‘because my house is only home to my friends’.
This is the point of our readings today. The Gospel tells us that even those who dined and drank with the Master were not allowed to enter. Who then can enter? The first reading tells us, ‘those who do the will of God from the heart’.
It sounds easy. Many of us profess our willingness to do the will of God, but it stops there – a mere lip-service. Doing the will of God is entering the narrow gate with all willingness and love. This is embracing suffering that leads to conversion, the key to the door of the house of the Master.
Entering the narrow gate means giving up our pride to choose forgiveness. It means giving up our luxuries and conveniences to feed and shelter the poor. It means giving up our ‘me’ time and ‘rest’ time to do mission. It means choosing to be patient with people over productivity. It means allowing God to be in control of our life, that is, everything that we do leads to Christ.
Call to Action for Catholic Living:  It’s not enough that we have been baptized. It’s not enough that we rub elbows with bishops and priests. To enter the door, we need to wholeheartedly embrace the mission of Christ  -that is, lead souls to the good Father, the Master of the house!

Becoming God’s Presence to Others

Author: Chrisma C. BangaoilThrough and with us, others experience God’s presenceReflection Date: October 29, 2024 Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary TimeDaily Readings: Ephesians 5:21-33; Luke 13:18-21
Perhaps one of our many curiosities is the same question asked in today’s Gospel: “What is the Kingdom of God like?” Many of us refer to the Kingdom of God as heaven. Kids and even many adults would point to heaven as the Kingdom of God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses two images to describe the Kingdom of God – that of a mustard seed and that of a yeast. What do these two objects have in common? They are both almost invisible to the eyes and as such they seem insignificant. The mustard seed, however, eventually becomes a large bush that gives shelter to birds while the yeast transforms the flour into a dough.
There are many ways to look at the Kingdom of God. But in today’s Gospel, it is clear that the Kingdom of God is not a place that is visible but a state that one experiences when one accepts the Lord to rule over one’s life. This is also the message of the first reading. When we submit to God, He becomes our ruler, thereby becoming His Kingdom.
 This means that in each of us who believes and welcomes Christ, we become God’s presence to others. This means that through and with us, others experience God’s presence.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: If we look then deep into our hearts, are we God’s presence to others? Do our thoughts, words and deeds speak of the presence of God in us? Do we become the mustard seed or the yeast that transforms others into something beautiful, something that speaks of the magnificent grace of God?
If we were to be the presence of Christ to others, they should experience forgiveness, generosity, kindness, patience, mercy and compassion through us.