Sunday, January 24, 2016

JUNIOR-G 1ST SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION PAPER

January 24, 2016 Sunday Gospel    

Lk 1:1-4;4:14-21

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

24 comments:

  1. MARIANO, MAGGIE // JG


    “Jesus Christ Fulfills”

    In this gospel, we are told of how Jesus Christ fulfilled and continues to fulfill what is written in the scriptures. God whispered the words in the Bible and someone would write it down—the scriptures were a literary form of the messages God had imparted on us. These were the stories that documented the lives of the people God had chosen, and the events that had created something worth telling, The scriptures were stories that foretold the coming of the savior: Jesus Christ.

    Saint Luke mentions how these scriptures have been compiled the narrative of the events that lead to the one who came to fulfill them all. When Jesus opens up the scroll and reads out the passage, he announces to them how while in their hearing, the scriptures had just been fulfilled. This reminds me of when I was given the opportunity to sacrifice my time and efforts to those who needed it the most: the ones who were lost, the ones who had the least and the ones who have been thought of the last. Because I was born with the simple privileges others were not fortunate enough to attain, we usually do not realize how much we are fortunate to have. With all the outreaches and retreats I have given the opportunity to be part of, like Jesus Christ, I fulfill the passage.

    I believe that the Spirit of the Lord is upon each and everyone of us and that we are all anointed to bring glad tidings to the poor. We cannot make miracles: we cannot bring sight to the blind, but through our own ways we let the oppressed go free and we proclaim liberty to those who have been held captive. If we continue to treat others with kindness, regardless of their social status, race, gender or religion—we will proclaim not just a year that is acceptable to the Lord, we will proclaim an eternity that is more than what is expected. If we continue to go in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we will fulfill the passage.

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  2. "Holy Intentions"

    If God is here, what else is there to fulfill?

    I would honestly write my reflection with just that sentence above. But of course, in lieu of the rubric, I am endeavored to expound.

    Even if we don't see it, Jesus is here. Through our family, friends, teachers, teammates, enemies, pets and in nature. We often feel His presence but we don't usually pay attention. Jesus tells us in this gospel that God's spirit aill always be around us. All you need to do is listen. Listen to the people who speak of wisdom. Listen to the people who inspire. People who simply cheer you on when you're down, or help you during class discussions, or teach you how to do this and that. It may not seem like it, but this is a Godly gesture. It's a sign that he's always here to help us.

    Live on the presence and trust in the vibe.

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  3. "Christ is the power of the Spirit"

    KAT POBLETE JG

    In this Gospel, it says that Jesus Christ dedicated his life to fulfill what is written in the scriptures—to fulfill what His Father wants. The Holy Bible is a book full of stories about people who are worthy. God chose certain people to be part of the stories in the Bible so us, humans, may take whatever lesson we may need and incorporate it in our daily lives in order to be less of what we want to be, and more of what God needs us to be. In the end, it all leads up to the telling of our Savior's coming.

    As Jesus finished reading the scripture, he hands it back and says that the Scripture passage has been fulfilled in our hearing; Christ fulfilled the passage, for He is the Son of God. He is the living, tangible form of the Scriptures we read. He gave up all His privileges from being so, just to live like us. He would rather cure and bless us all, because that is how selfless He is. I think that in today's society, we should all take part in selfless acts, I know I have. More than once have I put others needs in front of mine, and I have yet to regret it.

    We are all God's children. Albeit, we are not capable of doing the things Jesus did, but we can in our own little way, and maybe then, we can fulfill the passage. Life is not about living because, it's about living despite, and that is what Jesus taught me.

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  4. Lift of Christ by Ted Pacis, Junior G

    This gospel of Luke begins with an introductory letter to Theophilus talking about how the Bible has grown and how it continued to be made for others to learn from. Given on this note we can see how powerful the Bible really is, the fact that God had this written down for us to learn and live in contact with him. Further as we read the verses, we can see that Jesus really is the Messiah. A few points of view to discuss lie more on the definition of the last 2 passages.

    The gospel of Luke continue with these next few passages that follow this first which just add to follow up points based on that letter. As the passages go on, we can see that in the first passage the emphasized perspective focuses on how Jesus coming back gave such a strong effect to the people. When he returned to them, he showered everyone who listened with God's wisdom and because of that everyone felt God's word and grace. Moving on, the second passage speaks almost as exact as the first although it extends it's meaning and definition in a more thorough sense. This time Jesus returned to Nazareth and spoke unto the people and as He did this he taught them and blessed them with new things to know and to live with. As Jesus once did, an experience I can relate is to was the time Justin Fatica (a motivational speaker who preaches about God) came in and spoke to us, sharing with us the wisdom of God and why we should trust in him. He showed us the way to Jesus and why we needed him, at the same time He showed us what we were worth and reminded us that we may be only human but God made us out of love so we are worth a lot. This is directly connected because in this manner Justin's methods and words reflected Jesus' teachings and messages ways to the people of Nazareth and Galilee, because the effect of the words they spoke brought the people to God.

    In conclusion, Jesus' words were strongly highlighted in these verses and passages. We fully are blessed with God's word that's why we must read it and we must follow it. Jesus' message is the only true place where we can understand God's word and as demonstrated in these passages we can see what it has done to the people and that it has brought them closer to God. I only hope that after this, people will be more and more inspired to read the bible especially after just reading the tip of the iceberg of it.

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  5. "A Scripture Fulfilled"

    Kisho Gutierrez JG

    In this gospel, we are told of Jesus' fulfillment of the scripture that spoke of a messiah anointed by the Lord, who would go on to do many good things in this world.
    And as many of us know, Jesus dedicated himself to fulfilling the words of His Father, spreading various teachings and doing good.

    No matter who you are, reading up on all the good that Jesus had done as the Son Of God, can feel a bit overwhelming from time to time.
    I mean, just thinking about how Jesus was willing to give his life for the lives of others, it sort of makes one's own good deeds seem so miniscule in comparison.
    I myself am very familiar with such a feeling, for every time I hear about someone doing something amazing heroic (or at the very least, someone dedicating themselves to helping others through charities and the like), I often feel like my own acts of good feel so insignificant, like Im barely doing anything to make this world change for the better.
    But then I remember, that even the smallest action can lead to a big impact, that not every act of good that Jesus did was amazingly tremendous and that it doesnt do much good to compare yourself to others.
    For we are all unique.

    In conclusion, we should not feel so small in comparison to Jesus or his acts of good.
    For we are also Children Of God, and we can change things for the better, bit by bit.

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  6. “Be an instrument of God”

    In this gospel, Jesus returned to Galilee, where He spread the Good News of the Lord. As he was in a synagogue on Sabbath day, Jesus was handed a scroll by the prophet Isaiah and read it to the crowd. Through this passage, each and every one of us are called by God to fulfil the passage. Whether literal or spiritual, we are summoned to spread the Good News and be an instrument of the Lord.

    As Catholics, we are all blessed with the Holy Spirit to guide us in making decisions and discern right from wrong. We are anointed by God to “bring glad tidings to the poor.” These people may be economically poor or spiritually poor. We are here to help those in need of God’s grace. As we are all brothers and sisters in God’s eyes, we are here to give them hope and strengthen their relationship with Him. We are called to "proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind,” by cleansing out the demons trapped in our neighbour's hearts and to open their eyes to the goodness of the Lord. As children of God, we are instilled with the freedom to make conscientious decisions. Since we are also called “to let the oppressed go free,” we are called to repent for our shortcomings and sins and follow the footsteps of the One who set us free, Jesus Christ.

    This gospel reminds us that we are tools in the hands of God. We are destined to fulfill the passage by spreading the Good News, helping out the poor and oppressed, healing the sick and those inflicted with disease, and much more. With God by our side, all things are possible. We must lift up everything we do for His greater glory.

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  7. This gospel of Luke is about the return of Jesus to galilee where all the people praised his arrival and greeted him with happiness. In Nazareth the people felt praised and while Jesus was reading a scroll from the prophet Isaiah. The people focused on the things Jesus was saying since they knew that they trusted every word that he said.

    The gospel is telling us that we should always follow the word of God. We as Catholics should always believe in God since he is always there for us even if we are facing tough challenges. We should never lose faith in him since he always answers our prayers. We should always put God first in our daily activities through praying ad thanking him for everything he has done for us. We should also praise the lord because he sacrificed his life to save us.

    I therefore conclude that we should never lose our faith in God since he is always there to guide us to do good. We should also go to church not just for the sake of people seeing us that we go to church but we must go there to learn new things because we listened to the priest and the word of God. We must also remember that we should use the things we learned to help others grow as better Catholics and children of God.

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  8. "God speaks through others" by Max Santos-Ocampo JG

    The gospel opens by saying how it is now Luke's turn to present us a recording of the events that occurred in the life of Christ. People are so inspired by Christ that they want to tell others about the interesting events they have experienced. And when others read the stories, they also want to tell others. The life of Christ is so interesting that people want to spread the Word of God to others, and in return they will altogether grow closer to God.

    The Gospel is telling us that we should follow the word of God and also follow Jesus' example and spread the Good News to others. We must always keep our faith in his teachings and praise him because he sacrificed everything for us.

    The gospel therefore says that we should try to help others and never lose faith, as it is our way for repaying him due to his sacrifice to save us. We must spread the Good News towards others and help anyone in anyway we can.

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  9. MATT ILANO | JG

    "FULFILLMENT"

    This gospel talks about how Jesus' teachings are fulfilled as time goes on. As He stated, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing," we can see that Jesus is implying that all the things prophesied will be eventually fulfilled by Him. Throughout the Bible, stories of Jesus have been witnessed by different people as they wrote it down, and Saint Luke has then organized it for us to see the miracles that Jesus has done.

    In our daily lives, we usually think that when we plan for the day, it is our plan but is it not God's plan? When we do things, we are fulfilling what God wants us to do. In the gospel, those people in the synagogue never anticipated that hearing that passage would fulfill what Prophet Isaiah has spoken. As a personal experience, it would be going to mass on sundays since it reminds me of how the people probably felt, seeing that the Gospels come true for each one of us in different ways that we don't see. Then as we realize these teachings, we learn to apply them to help others as well, to have the Spirit of the Lord within us as well.

    In summary, I believe that as we do simple things that bring people closer to God, we are experiencing the Spirit of the Lord within us. We experience His presence in us in Masses as we hear about Him, about the prophesies that He fulfills. We might not realize of His plan, we might think its ours, but we know that His plan brings us to better things. We fulfill His works as we do what He wants us to do.

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  10. TORRES, LORENZO || JUNIOR G
    MY 3 POINTS ABOUT THIS GOSPEL

    "I too have decided, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received."


    START EVERYTHING WITH DECLARATION. St. Luke says it himself in the beginning of the book: "I TOO HAVE DECIDED." What's so amazing about it is that it's just the start of the book, and yet there is a declaration, an offering, a choice. In the beginning of the book of Luke, there was a CHOICE to write down the teachings of Jesus. St. Luke was not forced to write down his stories, but he made a choice. "To write it down in an ORDERLY SEQUENCE for you." The painstaking work of having to write down Jesus' stories, and yet St. Luke chooses to do so. "So that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received." To help others realize the certainty and the authenticity of Jesus' teachings. He went through all of this work just to be able to let others know about the teachings of Jesus.


    "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all."


    SPREAD HIM TO YOUR HOMES. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of SPIRIT. The Spirit compelled him to come back home to teach in all his synagogues. Such simple lines, and such a powerful message in it. Jesus is telling us to come home through the help of his Spirit. He's asking us to spread his word, his teachings, his life, his love, back to our homes. We need not stand on rooftops or public places and to grab everyone's attention for him to be satisfied. Our God is a God of simplicity. Even the simplest of sharing will suffice. Again, it doesn't mean life-changing advice. God resides in the silence, in the quiet, in the peaceful. A simple "how are you today?" or a "don't worry, I'm here" goes a long way. Through the spirit of affirmation. God is there.


    "Today, this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."


    SHOUT HIS VICTORY. Don't just say it. Don't just proclaim it, but shout his victory. We can do all these things not through our own names, but in the name of Jesus. Our teachings touch hearts not in our own names but in the name of Jesus. "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." Jesus claimed that the captives would be liberated, the blind would see, the oppressed would go free, and a year of worship would happen for the Lord. And he claimed it with victory, with confidence. Confidence comes from the Latin words "con" and "fide" which mean WITH FAITH. He proclaimed the victory, the breaking of chains with faith. Jesus' victory was not just on the cross. His victories repeat everyday when we pray. Because when we pray, we do it consciously. We pray consciously. By that, we freely accept and acknowledge that Jesus can answer our prayers. That's already a victory. Proclaim his victory.

    START WITH DECLARATION.
    SPREAD HIM INTO YOUR HOMES.
    SHOUT HIS VICTORY.

    -end-


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  11. Missions We Must Fulfill
    Andrea Nicole C. de Vera JG cn 17

    Jesus is much talked about in the countryside.He goes back home and goes to the synagogue on a Sabbath day.He is given a scripture from Isaiah 61:1-2.Isaiah wrote about an anointed one by the Lord to set us free.Lastly,Jesus announces that what has been read to them is fulfilled this very day.

    We know that St.Luke is talking about Jesus as he has been spreading the good news everywhere and fulfilling what God wants him to do.As a teenager,I have a lot of commitments that have to be fulfilled.I need to go to school everyday,go training every MWF, take care of my siblings and a lot more.Like me and everyone of us,my dad has a mission.My dad is a judge in Manila.His job is to hear and decide cases brought to court.Almost all the time he has to go to court and do his job.What really surprised me is that I never knew that judges could make the 2 sides agree with each other since I always thought that one side has to win and one side has to lose but with my dad,he makes both of the sides win.He actually won an award as the Outstanding Metropolitan Trial Court Judge 2015 for having the most number of disposed cases compared to other judges in his area.

    I believe this is my dad's mission as a government official. God anointed him to find ways for these 2 sides to agree with each other, compromise and forgive each other so that no one will go to jail or no one will have to pay a fine.Almost all the time,he fulfills his mission.I believe each and every one of us has a mission on earth to fulfill.We can fulfill them like Jesus has done his mission but in our own simple ways.You never know if you have fulfilled it or not but what is important is that you do it for God.

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  12. A Living Testament to God's Will
    Mikee Almalvez, JG

    In this passage, Luke undertakes the responsibility of writing every thing that Jesus has done in his lifetime. It's not as easy task, but Luke takes it to show us how Jesus truly fulfills God's will for him. Jesus is the messiah God sent, the prophecy come true - he taught in synagogues, brought glad tidings to the poor, proclaimed liberty to captives, recovered the sight of the blind, let the oppressed go free, and proclaimed a year acceptable to the Lord. In the same way Jesus was called to serve, we are also called to serve God through everything we do. We must go through the path God has set for us.

    Like in John 3:30, "He must increase; I must decrease." We need to have less of us and more of God, to open our hearts and let his grace and love flow through us. Combined with "Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," we are to be the Good News that others must see and hear. The Scripture should not die with us, but rather, live in us. We have to keep these passages close to our heart because this is how God speaks to us. I remember being told that if you have no one to talk to, talk to God, because He's always going to be there. And it's true, because I have seen how God works in my life and now I know God's mission for me, which is to serve and love others in His name. It is the same mission he has given to His son, Jesus Christ, and it is a timeless mission - because God's word lives on forever, no matter what happens.

    This gospel reminds us that the scriptures are not just writings of an old time - they are testaments to God's will come to life. Jesus is a wonderful example of that, and so are the other notable people He has chosen. We must remember that we are the tools that God has picked to create His masterpiece - not everyone will have the same purpose, like maybe some are paints and others are brushes, some are canvases and others are the pallets. Despite that, we all have an important role in His plan, and it will be a far greater plan than any of us have imagined. God does not choose the equipped, but equips the chosen.

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  13. "Jesus Fulfills, We Follow" by Bianca Roque of Junior- G

    The Gospel talks about how Jesus Christ has fulfilled his mission to speak the scriptures everywhere he goes just like his father wanted him to do. He preaches the Lord's word and shares his stories to all of his disciples. We have heard of the scriptures from mass and read them through the Bible, now we are able to share the word of the Lord, just like his son.

    This reminds me of the times I had made time to dedicate myself to certain tasks, like school work and preparations for college. It reminds me of how Jesus dedicates himself to preaching the Lord's word through his parables. Every time I go to mass, I would always invest myself into listening to the Gospel and the homily, since I would want to know how the priest can interpret the gospel to real life situations or making everyone learn more about the Lord. I find it quite interesting, and it reminds me of the times wherein you can give your interpretation of certain Gospel passages in CL class.

    In conclusion, God always wants us to hear his words. Jesus was his gateway to bring his scriptures to humanIty. He wanted us, his disciples, to learn, he wanted us to fulfill his message and to share his wisdom. Now we should follow.

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  14. Seth Catalan J-G “Fulfilment of Christ"

    In this gospel given to us from Luke, it talks about how Jesus returned to Galilee, where He spread the Good News of the Lord. Jesus was handed a scroll by the prophet Isaiah and read it to the crowd. Through this passage, each and every one of us are called by God to fulfil the passage. Whether literal or spiritual, we are summoned to spread the Good News and be an instrument of the Lord. That we have a purpose and the we should share the good news of God so that everyone will be aware about it, filled with God and His presence. The Gospel also shows that Jesus had a purpose here on Earth and it was to save us from sins and evil.

    Reading the gospel helped me realize that I was put on this earth to not just fulfill his task for me, but his task for others. We must know that we were not created just to care about only ourselves. We must learn to do things for others as Jesus did. We will be able to follow in God's path if we think about what others need, not just what we need. We must learn to be open minded, responsible, and especially generous, so we may show how thankful we are to the Lord for creating us.

    In summary, I believe that we're all called to make everyone a better person. We're supposed to help those who need God in their lives and fulfill our duties as a disciple. Personally, I think we're all capable of helping everyone out so I suggest that we all do something about society now. We are all called by God to spread His word. Our mission is for people to see Christ in our small little acts of love. This challenge was given to us so that we will be able to strengthen our relationship with Him. By sacrificing time to help others, we wouldn’t know it, but God will surely reward us soon because He is happy that we are doing things that are pleasing to His eyes. As Lasallian students, we can incorporate the 10 C’s in our lives, and in doubt, our lives will instantly become better because these values help us to become more like God.

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  15. PIERO DOMINGUEZ JUNIOR-G

    "Hear what must be heard and speak what must be spoken"

    This gospel talks about fulfillment. The fulfillment of what God wants you to do. We fulfill this by hearing what God is trying to tell us and speaking the words that comes from our hearts. We can't just read about our God or our faith. We need to hear our God and speak our faith.

    As said in 2 Corinthians 4:13, "We believe, and therefore speak." We must not keep our faith within ourselves but we must speak it and share it so that others may hear it. When others hear the words of faith that we utter they will find that voice inside them that will say, "speak your faith and fulfill God's calling." From this voice they will find a sense of fulfillment. Not a materialistic sense of fulfillment but a the feeling that we have fulfilled God's calling.

    Just as Saint Luke did; we must believe in God and fulfill his calling so we can hear and speak his words and with the fulfillment of His call we hope that we may also inspire others to answer his call as well.

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  16. "Fulfilling the Scripture"
    Ivan Villarico JG

    This gospel emphasizes about "fulfilling the scripture". After Jesus read the passage, which is about being anointed by God to do good, he has proclaimed that he has fulfilled the scripture in our hearing. This was said after a brief message to Theophilus stating that he compiled the events that occured for him to realize the certainty of the teachings. These two verses/messages are related to each other

    God has sent us in this world to be messengers of His word. We are here to follow the teachings and the scriptures written about God and his philosophies. In the gospel, The scripture from the prophet Isaiah said that we have to bring glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives, recover sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. It can also be interpreted as a message to spread the word of God to those who are unaware, and mainly, just to be help for others. This is the essence of being a child of God. After reading the scripture, Jesus said that he has fulfilled the scripture, and by doing this, by reading the scripture, he is calling others to do the same and fulfill the scripture in their own way. Luke did it by compile the events for Theophilus, so that the teachings may be clear to him. This is his way of spreading the Word of the Lord.

    In conclusion, God calls us to follow His teachings and spread it to others. We are called to be God's messengers since we are his children. Therefore, we must follow him, as Jesus and Luke did.

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  17. “God is enough”
    Bianca Aguilar JG

    From what I understood, fulfilment has two purposes, to inspire and to feel contented.

    In the gospel, Jesus returned to Galilee aiming to spread the word of God. He had no hidden agendas. All he wanted was to spread the Good News. Similarly, Jesus went to Nazareth and did the same thing. He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day. Although here, he read a scroll talking about how the Scriptures are enough for you to realise that all you need is God. His love is unconditional and genuine. When we were asking for someone to save us, He gave us His only son. He let His own son suffer and die on the cross just to remind us that He will always love us, regardless of our sins. God’s love should be enough for us to feel happy and contented. However, we seem to have forgotten that.

    Most of us nowadays are never happy with what we have. We always want more. Without thinking, we ask for more. Regardless of how much or how little we have, we are always asking for more. Unfortunately, nothing is ever good enough for us. There is always something better, or in some cases, there is something missing from what we already have.

    Like everyone else, I have three roles. We are all students, sons or daughters and instruments of God. Sadly, I think I fall short in all my roles. As a student, we are never contented with our grades. A hard earned grade of 93 is not enough for us. You know you did your best but you’re still not happy with it. You want more. As a son or daughter, we take more than we give. When we ask for something we want the best kind. For example, when we ask for a cellphone, we want the latest iPhone or Android. We would actually get mad if we got an unknown brand. Even when it has the same purpose, we still want the one that costs more. Lastly, as God’s instrument, I feel unworthy. What have I ever done for God? Worship doesn’t feel good enough. Prayer doesn’t feel like it would show God how much we love him, but it does. Simple things like attending the Holy Eucharist matters a lot. We just don’t realise it. As said in the gospel, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Listening to the word of God was enough for us to learn something we will always remember. Simple things are enough.

    In addition, I have realised that we always want more because society has told us we need more. With social media, we are being exposed to what is “trendy” and “in.” What does that even mean? I never understood why things like plain white shoes and leather handbags are the basis of our social status. I think its because we started having an idea of how we should be. We formed this image in our heads of what is “perfect,” and most of the time it is unrealistic. Another thing I realised is that being unsatisfied with what you have often leads to other things. Going back to my examples earlier, we end up blaming teachers for our “bad grades.” We forget to thank our parents for working hard to keep us fed. We even forget about God because we feel like everything we do won’t be good enough. Its a ripple effect. One thing leads to another.

    In conclusion, simple things matter. Wanting more than what you have usually leads to worse things. Just trust God. God has a plan for all of us. If you don’t get what you really want now, it is because God has a better plan for you. God’s love for you is enough. Be grateful and happy for He has blessed all of us.

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  18. "We Must Fulfill"
    By Louie Ann Teves JG
    In this gospel we can see the outline of Jesus’ mission, which is our mission too as he reads the letter from Isaiah. This was God’s plan for Jesus and just like Jesus, God also has a plan for us and we have a mission we need to fulfil. Our mission is to help the poor. But there are several other kinds of poor we can find today: the poor in faith, the blind who refuse to see God and the prisoners who are locked up because of their own selfish concerns. God sent us here in this earth to be able to help one another to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. We can do so with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, just as it guided St. Luke to write his book for the Holy Bible.

    We saw the early stages of St. Luke documenting what he saw as an eyewitness to Jesus’ miracles and his parables. Bearing that task was not easy on his part since so many events occurred and he had to remember all of them. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in; since we can see how Luke was inspired and guided in writing his book. It is amazing how no one really told these people to document what they saw or no one told them to compile everything and write The Bible but this was all part of God’s plans. Even before He sent Jesus down on this earth, God already had a plan on how to let His word be heard even several years after. Now as followers of Christ we are called to fulfil this mission and continue to spread the good news of God.

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  19. Mico Cruz JG

    "Fulfilled with Faith"

    The main theme of the gospel is fulfilment. It talks about how Jesus was able to fulfil his mission to speak about the word of the Lord and the sacred scriptures. Now, he wants us to do the same. Despite the many difficulties and challenges he faced, he remained steadfast in his belief and preached the kingdom of God to everyone he encountered. Now, we are tasked do the same. It is our duty to serve the same way Jesus did.

    We must also fulfil our duties as stewards of God. Our faith must not be locked up in our minds and in our hearts, but must be released through our actions and our words. Our faith speaks volumes of who we are. It is our job to spread the good news and live out our faith just like Jesus Christ did. We are are spitting image of God; therefore, we too must act the same way as him. I always put this quote in my heart, "Let your faith be bigger than your fear." I would always remember that my faith is far more stronger than my fear will ever be. Why should I be scared when I know that God will always be there to guide me? I know that I will always have the courage to stand up for what is right despite judgment and ridicule because my faith is stronger than my fear.

    This is exactly how Jesus Christ lived his life. He fulfilled his mission as God's only begotten son and lived a life of faith that was far bigger than his own fear. He preached to the synagogues, all the way to the deserts. He did not let fear get in the way, and this is how I would like to live my life as well.

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  20. "Open your Ears and Listen"
    Nathaniel Castaños JG

    People all over the world are mislead by false prophets and ideas. They open their ears not to the things they're supposed to and need to hear, but to those that they want to hear. The only thing we need to listen to is all around us, and He knows what's best for He has a plan.

    Hearing, though, is not the same as listening. Some people are lucky enough to grow up hearing the word of God, but some of us only hear, and not listen. We all long for fulfillment to our lives, but true fulfillment can only be done with God. God is perfect, therefore His plan is perfect. People complain about their lives and even blame God for not blessing them as He has blessed the fortunate people. I say this because I am one of them. Now after this reading I see it now. I was blind to the fact that even though my ears are wide open, I chose not to listen. I hear the words but the message does not come to mind. I now know that to fulfill my life, I should see and find out why these things happen to me. Is it because it is part of God's plan? Or is it because I strayed from His plan and tried to form my own.

    After reading this passage I am now a listener, a listener of God and what He plans for all of us. It is now my duty to fulfill my life according to His will. This just does not mean that I should change my view of life, I also have to change others for the better. Spreading the word of God will open others to the message I have learnt. By being blessed, I am now enlightened to tell everyone that they are blessed, maybe not for now, but God has a time for everything to happen.

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  21. Sunday Gospel Reflection: Hazel Toque JG CN:38

    Do Everything in Love

    Jesus dedicated his life into fulfilling his father's will. He went to every synagogue, preached and proclaimed the word of the Lord without any hesitation — that was his mission. Likewise, Luke was chosen to 'compile a narrative of the events' that Jesus and His people have fulfilled over the years. Simple deeds that we might have forgotten, gestures that inspired our fellow brothers and sisters — whatever it is, we have our own mission and we too, are part of Jesus' fulfillment of his own.

    We may often refer to missions as something big, something heroic. Matthew 6:6: "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Let this passage remind you that every good deed you do, as long as you do out of pure and sincere love, God acknowledges it. "Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." The mere fact that we sacrifice one hour of time every Sunday to hear mass already accounts as part of our fulfillment. Today, we may find ourselves questioning about everything — our existence, purpose or what awaits us in the near future. We may feel lost and the path that's ahead of us may seem clouded with uncertainty, doubts and fears. Personally, I felt the same way too. It's inevitable but with God, these things will slowly uncover. Do your best to seek God and let Him lead you to the path that was once clouded.

    Have courage, for this is the first step into finding and fulfilling our mission. Make God your foundation and do everything for His greater glory. Do everything in love.

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  22. Danielle Valera JG

    "Faith Heals"

    This gospel mainly talks about fulfillment. It talks about how Jesus was able to fulfill his mission to spread the word of God. Today, he wants us to follow in his footsteps. Despite everything he has faced, he still managed to remain faithful to God and obey his every command.

    As children of God, it is a must that we fulfill our duties. We owe it all up to him because without him we would be nothing. Our faith must remain strong no matter what. We must not limit our faith, we should go beyond it and grow more as individuals. Our faith determines who we are. It is our duty to spread the good news so that people are aware of what our faith is capable of. We are made by the image and likeness of the Lord; therefore, we too must act the same way as him.

    This is exactly how Jesus Christ lived his life, always being a great son to our Father. He was always faithful, never doubted. This is how I would like to live for the rest of my life. Faith always heals because once you surrender yourself to the Lord, He will always be there to protect and guide you in whatever you do.

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  23. "His Great Love"

    by: Pamela Siapno / JG


    In this gospel, it is evident that Jesus pursues to fulfill what His Father has written in the scriptures. These were the forms of Him sending us a message, that He is Almighty God and we, the people should be enlightened by His great words. His great words, that told everyone the stories of his son, Jesus. That all of his sacrifices and miracles were all for us to turn to God.

    In this gospel, it has taught many valuable lessons. Like Jesus trying to call for us on and on, we need to never stop calling for him. Because that is our main goal, to pursue Jesus Christ. But of course as humans in the world, we commit mistakes that hurt him but he wants us to be good, so he never gives up on us even if sometimes he becomes the reason we blame things for, which we should stop doing. In life, we have so many things to pursue like dreams and goals. When we reach those goals, we know who we should thank and that is only the God up there. Because He is one of the many reasons why we have achieved what we had to achieve.

    I believe wholesomely that God's Holy Spirit is within everyone of us to cleanse us from our sins and to guide us to the right path that leads to God's everlasting love. If we continue to do good, even a slight smile and thanking would make Him happy because he knows we have accepted Him and rejected evil. That is why, we should always be the person we need to be for God and ONLY God.

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