Vol 21 Issue 1

Here is my servant

Isaiah 42:1

Dear brothers and sisters,

Who really is the servant of the Lord that is referred to in Isaiah 49:6, the verse from which our theme this year is taken from? We have interpreted this to be referring to us. But Isaiah could not have foreseen the establishment of our community. So, in the original context of this prophecy, who was the prophet referring to? And how do we proceed to do missio ad gentes? Read and reflect on this first Letter of Aquila and Priscilla in 2024. May the Holy Spirit guide you.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 2

Love is kind

1 Corinthians 13:4

Dear brothers and sisters, 

During this month of February, the month during which we celebrate love, we find joy and hope in the teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux who was declared Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II on 19 October 1997. The common Church teaching is that purgatory can hardly be avoided. But when Therese learned that the novices felt that they would probably have to expect to be in purgatory, she corrected them saying, "Oh! How you grieve me! You do a great injury to God in believing you're going to purgatory. When we love, we can't go there." 

Read and reflect on this Letter to know why Love and Purgatory are incompatible. 

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 3

Listen to Him

Luke 9:35

Dear brothers and sisters,

The transfiguration of Jesus is reported in all the Synoptic Gospels (Mk 9:2-8, Mt 17:1-8, Lk 9:28-36) and in the Second Letter of Peter (2 Pt 1:17). But while the transfiguration has no parallel in the Gospels, it is evident that it is patterned after the Exodus experience (Ex 20,24,34) since there are at least eight parallel events between the Transfiguration and Exodus accounts. We invite you to read and reflect on the Transfiguration of Jesus and find out why we should listen to him.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 4

Christ died for our sins

1 Corinthians 15:3

Dear brothers and sisters,

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John give us four different accounts written some 30 to 70 years after Jesus' death. When we compare the four passion narratives, we find a general similarity in narrative sequence but considerable differences in content. This Holy Week let us contemplate a suffering Jesus described by Mark and Matthew, a healing and forgiving Jesus described by Luke, a triumphant Jesus described by John, but ultimately a Christ who died for our sins. We wish you a prayerful and reflective Lenten observance and a truly holy Holy Week.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 5

Mary!

James 20:16

Dear brothers and sisters,

For us, the most touching word ever uttered on the day of Jesus’ resurrection is “Mary!”: Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher (Jn 20:16). With that one word, Mary recognizes Jesus. With that one word, God is revealed. She heard in the name and in the tone the voice of her beloved Lord. Never was a one-word utterance more charged with emotion than this. If homilies are made to reveal God to the listeners, then Jesus gave the most perfect sermon in one word: Mary!

We wish you a joyful and Spirit-filled reflection.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 6

Peace be with you!

James 20:19

Dear brothers and sisters,

One of the most touching scenes in John's account of the resurrection of Jesus is his appearance to the disciples "on the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked" and Jesus said to them, "Peace be with you." Just days earlier, Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, and his apostles fled and abandoned him while he was humiliated, brutalized, scourged, and crucified. Yet, without a single word of reproach, his first greeting to those who had disowned and deserted him was a single word in Hebrew, "Shalom." Jesus gives three things: peace, mission, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to enable the disciples to forgive and retain sins. Since we have received the Holy Spirit in baptism, we, too, have the power to forgive sins not in the sacramental sense but to say to each other, "Peace be with you."

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 7

The two of them beome one body

Genesis 2:24

Dear brothers and sisters, 

With prodigious joy, we wish to share with you all this great news. By late next year, God willing, we may become great grandparents! Happy reading.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 8

Like sheep without a shepherd

Mark 6:34

Dear brothers and sisters,

The sixth chapter of the Gospel of Mark is probably the most action-packed chapter in all the four Synoptic Gospels. He describes five events and then uses verses 30 to 34 to serve as a hinge to link the first three events to the last two; or as a pause to highlight Jesus’ call for the Twelve to rest. We hope you will read the article to find out the lessons and how masterfully Mark had written this pericope.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 9

God is not mocked

Galatians 6:7

Dear brothers and sisters,

In the light of the numerous criticisms voiced out by Christians worldwide, we are encouraged by the words of Bishop Barron "to stand firm against such anti-Christian sentiments and not remain passive or timid" and that "Catholics must not be sheepish and needs to resist to make their voices heard" regarding the mockery of the Christian Faith during parts of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. We urge our readers to ponder deeply on the words of St. Paul in Galatians 6:7: Make no mistake. God is not mocked.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 10

To whom shall we go?

James 6:68

Dear brothers and sisters, 

August 20 is Jean's birthday, and I honor her with these words: "Jean is my felicitous pastoral partner who, with God's grace, makes our efforts of sharing the life and teaching of Christ fructuous, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, will hopefully become a fulgent offering for the glory of the Father in heaven."

Words are important and powerful. Words can penetrate hearts and change minds. Jesus' words in his Bread of Life Discourse penetrated the hearts of his disciples and changed the minds of many. Here Jesus used three different Greek words for the word eat. 

Happy reading and reflection.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 11

Born of a woman

Galatians 4:4

Dear brothers and sisters,

At the Mass on 1 Jan 2024 in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis explained the meaning of Gal 4:4. He said: “In ancient times, time was measured using vases of water; the passage of time was marked by how long it took for an empty vase to be filled. The phrase ‘fullness of time’ means that, once the vase of history is filled, divine grace spills over. God becomes man and he does so through a woman, Mary: she is the means chosen by God, the culmination of that long line of individuals and generations that ‘drop by drop’ prepared for the Lord’s coming into the world. It pleased God to turn history around through her, the ‘woman’... The motherhood of Mary is the path leading us to the paternal tenderness of God, the closest, most direct and easiest of paths … welcoming the Mother into our lives is not a matter of devotion but a requirement of faith … If we want to be Christians, we must be ‘Marians’, that is, ‘children of Mary’.” 

Happy reading. Cheers and God bless.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 12

Whoever wishes to be great must be your servant

Mark 10:43

Dear brothers and sisters,

Recently, we had a reunion of former DOST officials who became members of our CFC household after completing the strategic Christian Life Program. We recalled many memories and experiences and talked about our children and grandchildren, our declining health and financial issues but also our joys and successes. But one thing was truly impressive – everyone has remained simple and generous, much unlike the ambitious sons of Zebedee in Mark’s Gospel. The pericope on the ambition of James and John belongs to a long narrative that begins from the blind man of Bethsaida (Mk 8:22) and ends at the blind Bartimaeus (Mk10:52). The accounts about the two blind men are used by Mark as the “bookends” of this long narrative that highlights the blindness of the apostles – their inability to see the meaning and implications of Jesus’ prediction of his passion, death and resurrection.

Happy reading!

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 13

The way we came to know love

1 James 3:16

Dear brothers and sisters,

On 24 October 2024, Pope Francis issued his fourth encyclical with the full title:  Dilexit Nos - Encyclical Letter on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ. The encyclical focuses on the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a symbol of compassion and spiritual healing. It calls for a renewal of authentic devotion to avoid forgetting the tenderness of faith, the joy of serving, and the fervor of mission. After reading the encyclical, what touched us most are the words: “The mystery of a heart that loved so much.” Read this reflection and find out why.

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN

Vol 21 Issue 14

Good news of great joy

Luke 2:10

Dear brothers and sisters,

Christmas is about family reunions, treasure hunts, and gift-giving, echoing the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that the wise men gave the baby Jesus. It is about Christmas tree topped by a star, echoing the star that guided the wise men to Bethlehem.  But most of all, Christmas is about God becoming one of us, Immanuel, God with us. It is about Mary giving her fiat, accepting the role of becoming the mother of God. It is about a baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Christmas is about the great love of God who sent his only Son to redeem us. Christmas is about Jesus, the good news of great joy.

We wish you all a blessed and Merry Christmas!

With our love and prayers,

JUN and JEAN