Couples for Christ

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST IN OUR LIFE?

First Reading: Jeremiah 31: 31-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 51: 12-13, 14-15, 18-19
Alleluia: Matthew 16: 18
Gospel: Matthew 16: 13-23

Mv dear brothers and sisters, let us make a decision to fully open ourselves to the revealed truth of God and follow as he leads us. If we pay attention interiorly and from the depths of our heart where God is, we gradually begin to discern the voice that will lead us to the path of holiness, humility, and obedience to his will.

This is the 1564th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Rouquel Ponte, a member of the CFC Board of Elders, as he brings us today's reflection.]

WILL YOU ALLOW OUTSIDERS INTO YOUR LIFE FOR GOD?

First Reading: Jeremiah 31: 1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31: 10, 11-12ab, 13
Alleluia: Luke 7: 16
Gospel: Matthew 15: 21-28

With a faith so pure, the Canaanite woman’s humility breaks the barrier that separates her from the house of Israel. The same goes for us. Humility and faith prepares us for Jesus' great commission to go and to make disciples of all the nations. It reminds us that God is constantly entering new territories, meeting outsiders and granting them not just a crumb, but a place at the table..

This is the 1563rd installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND WHEN EXPERIENCES IN YOUR LIFE OVERWHELM YOU?

First Reading: Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 97: 1-2, 5-6, 9
Second Reading: Second Peter 1: 16-19
Alleluia: Matthew 17: 5c
Gospel: Mark 9: 2-10

In our gospel today, apostles Peter, James, and John were brought by Jesus on a high mountain. There, they witnessed Christ transfigured before them-something that could surprise and excite them as a naturally human response. But that is not how the Lord wants it to happen.

There are moments when we encounter God in our lives in ways that are unexpected or too overwhelming for us to handle for a time, which is natural for us as human beings with many limitations in our understanding. In such moments, we should realize, as soon as we can, to return to our Lord Jesus Christ and seek His guidance on the right response.

This is the 1562nd installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Lawrence Quintero, a member of the CFC International Council, as he brings us today's reflection.]

DO YOU TRUST THAT GOD CAN TRANSFORM YOUR SMALL EFFORTS INTO SOMETHING GREATER?

First Reading: Jeremiah 28: 1-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 119: 29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
Alleluia: Matthew 4: 4b
Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21

In our prayer time today, let us reflect on the miracle of feeding the five thousand. Let us consider that even in our smallest efforts, when placed in
God's hands, they can achieve great things. Let us ponder on how offering even what we might think insignificant contributions to God, no matter how
little they may seem, invites His transformative power.

This is the 1561st installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Eric Villanueva, Mission Head for CFC Europe and the Americas, as he brings us today's reflection.]

WHAT CHANGES CAN I MAKE TODAY TO GROW CLOSER TO JESUS?

First Reading: Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 78: 3-4, 23-24, 25, 54
Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24
Alleluia: Matthew 4: 4b
Gospel: John 6: 24-35

In today's gospel, Jesus tells them they seek Him not because they saw miracles but because they ate the loaves and were full. He urges them to seek the "food that endures to eternal life." He offers, and proclaims He is the "bread of life." Jesus explains that those who come to Him will never hunger or thirst spiritually.

May we be encouraged and inspired by the life of Saint Benedict of Nursia who was focused on pursuing the food that endures eternal life.

This is the 1561st installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Israel Silud, Regional Coordinator for East Asia, as he brings us today's reflection.]

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Kasama ang inyong mga kapanalig: BRO. JEREMY, SIS BERRY & BRO. CHUCKY

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DO WE RELY ON GOD'S GRACE TO CHOOSE HIS WAY OF HOLINESS AND TO REJECT WHATEVER WOULD WEAKEN OUR FAITH IN HIS SON, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST?

First Reading: Jeremiah 26: 11-16, 24
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 69: 15-16, 30-31, 33-34
Alleluia: Matthew 5: 10
Gospel: Matthew 14: 1-12

The Lord Jesus gives grace and help to the humble, to those who acknowledge their weaknesses and their sinfulness, and to those who look to God for his mercy, pardon, wisdom, and strength. His grace enables us to
pursue holiness in every area of or lives, in our thoughts and intentions, as well as our words and actions. God's grace enables us to fight fear with faith
and to overcome the temptation to compromise good with evil. Do we rely on God's grace to choose His way of holiness and to reject whatever would weaken our faith in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ?"

This is the 1559th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Solphie Confiado as he brings us today's reflection.]

WHAT PREVENTS YOU FROM SEEING THE GOODNESS IN PEOPLE?

First Reading: Jeremiah 26: 1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 69: 5, 8-10, 14
Alleluia: First Peter 1: 25
Gospel: Matthew 13: 54-58

When Jesus came home, after being away for some time, He was a changed person. When he left Nazareth, he was the carpenter’s son. When he returned, he was becoming known as a preacher of God’s kingdom and a healer of the sick and the broken. The people of Nazareth could not accept this change. “This is the carpenter’s son, surely?” they asked. “Where did the man get this wisdom?” they wondered. The people of Nazareth could not accept Jesus because he was not the person they once knew.

We too can be slow to accept people who have moved on in some way or another because they are no longer the same persons we once knew. In the case of the people of Nazareth, they maintained a narrow view of Jesus and thus could not accept the changes they saw in Him. We too can be slow to allow our image of Him to be broadened from the basic catechism Jesus of our youth. But this is because Jesus is always beyond our full understanding. We never grasp Him completely and we always have to be open to growing in our knowledge and love of Him until that day we see Him face to face.

This is the 1558th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Jess Ferrer, Head of the CFC Migrants Program, as he brings us today's reflection.]

Alamin kung bakit mahalaga ang Last Supper and how it established everything we believe in in this episode of Baba's Taste and See.

Know more about our Catechism references:
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said,” (Matthew 26:26) “‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.’” (Luke 22:19-20)

The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means first of all "thanksgiving." (CCC 1360)

The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the making present and the sacramental offering of his unique sacrifice, in the liturgy of the Church which is his Body. In all the Eucharistic Prayers we find after the words of institution a prayer called the anamnesis or memorial. (CCC 1362)

He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister, "the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross" [20], but especially under the Eucharistic species.
(Sacrosanctum Concilium 7)

The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch." (CCC 1324)

AM I PLIABLE CLAY IN THE DIVINE POTTER’S HANDS?

First Reading: Jeremiah 18: 1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 146: 1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab
Alleluia: Acts 16: 14b
Gospel: Matthew 13: 47-53

Our life here in this world is all spent on the potter’s wheel as God shapes us by means of all the people, events, and circumstances of our lives. The crucial difference between us and the clay is that the clay does not have the ability to decide whether to cooperate with the potter or not, while we, because of the free will given to us, have the capacity to choose whether we will cooperate with God’s hands in shaping us into the image and likeness of his Son.

If the clay becomes hard, set in such a way that the potter can no longer shape it, then it can never become the vessel that it was intended to be.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us reflect on the following questions: What kind of clay am I in the hands of God? What must I let go of so the Lord can form me into his image and likeness? As we ponder this important lesson, let us believe that every moment in our life is an opportunity for us to be shaped by the divine Potter.]

ARE YOU A STUMBLER OR A SEEKER OF GOD'S TREASURES?

First Reading: Jeremiah 15: 10, 16-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 59: 2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18
Alleluia: John 15: 15b
Gospel: Matthew 13: 44-46

There are those who see little value in knowing God view things from the perspective of this world alone. Others see great value in things of eternity, and they trade the things of the temporary world for the those of the unseen world. When we make a purchase, we exchange one thing for another. In this case, our broken lives for His eternal life. We are asked to see the great value in selling all and focusing everything on the Lord Jesus that we may attain "all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).

Like the apostle Paul, the Lord desires for us to let go of the things of this world so that we may gain Christ.

This is the 1556th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Raymond Bucu, South Asia Regional Coordinator and Provincial Area Head of Bulacan, as he brings us today's reflection.]

Encoding our household meetings is a reminder that we care about our members and a way to show we love them too. When we care about others, little things matter - including making sure that we record their attendance in our households.

So dear household heads, let's remember to encode. Enjoy the household! 💻

ARE YOU DELIBERATELY SEEKING GOD EVERY DAY TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW HIS WILL?

First Reading: Jeremiah 14: 17-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 79: 8, 9, 11 and 13
Gospel: Matthew 13: 36-43

Prayer and scripture reading, lectio divina, continuous learning about our faith, commitment to serve God, and seeking Him through encounters with brothers and sisters wherever they are assigned — these are the things that we must do to be able to find God and live according to His purpose.

In our gospel today, Christ tells a parable about sowing good seeds, with the weeds growing alongside them, telling us that the good seeds are those that come from God, but the weeds are those that come from the evil one. This reminds us of the fruits of our faith life.

As we desire to grow in our faith, we must be deliberate in sowing good seeds, to faithfully strive every day to live according to God's will, to serve His purpose, and to serve one another in love

This is the 1555th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Lawrence Quintero, a member of the CFC International Council, as he brings us today's reflection.

ARE WE IN TUNE WITH WHAT THE LORD DESIRES FOR US?

First Reading: Jeremiah 13: 1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Deuteronomy 32: 18-19, 20, 21
Alleluia: John 8: 12
Gospel: John 11: 19-27 or Luke 10: 38-42

In our prayer time today, let's reflect on the contrasting responses of Martha and Mary to Jesus' visit. Martha is busy with preparations while Mary sits at Jesus' feet, listening to His words. Ponder on the importance of prioritizing His presence over our busyness. This passage reminds us that while service is valuable, it should not overshadow our need for spiritual nourishment and connection with God. It is this spiritual nourishment that truly fulfills us and brings us closer to God.
This is the 1554th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Eric Villanueva, Mission Head for CFC Europe and the Americas, as he brings us today's reflection.]

DO I REALLY BELIEVE THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD?

First Reading: Second Kings 4: 42-44
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18
Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 1-6
Alleluia: Luke 7: 16
Gospel: John 6: 1-15

In today's gospel, Jesus performs the miracle of feeding the five thousand. This powerful act invites us to let go of our worries and put our complete trust in Jesus, who provides abundantly even in the most seemingly impossible situations. May we be encouraged and inspired by the life of our featured saint, Saint Rita of Cascia, to live a life of deep prayer and trust in Jesus, who provides abundantly even in the most seemingly impossible situations.

This is the 1554th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Israel Silud, Regional Coordinator for East Asia, as he brings us today's reflection.]

DO WE ALLOW GOD'S WORD TO TAKE DEEP ROOT IN OUR HEARTS?

First Reading: Jeremiah 7: 1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 84: 3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11
Alleluia: James 1: 21bc
Gospel: Matthew 13: 24-30

"What does this Parable tell us about the Kingdom of God? Jesus used a common everyday example of planting and harvesting, where weeds can spoil a good harvest if they are not separated and destroyed at the appropriate time. But uprooting them too early can also destroy the good plants in the process. Just as nature teaches us patience, so God's patience also teaches us to guard the Word He has planted in our hearts and to beware of the destructive force of sin and evil which can destroy it.

God's Word brings life, but the evil one seeks to destroy the good seed which has been planted in our hearts. God's judgment is not hasty, but it does come. In the end, God will reward each according to what they have sown and reaped in this life. Do we allow God's word to take deep root in our hearts?

This is the 1552nd installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Solphie Confiado as he brings us today's reflection.]

IS JESUS GROWING IN YOUR HEART?

First Reading: Jeremiah 3: 14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31: 10, 11-12abcd, 13
Alleluia: Luke 8: 15
Gospel: Matthew 13: 18-23

Jesus is the seed that someone sowed in our hearts and took root deeply. It could have been our parents or grandparents, or an aunt or uncle who sowed Jesus in our hearts. For Pope John Paul II, for example, it was his father who was the sower as his son always saw him on his knees praying the Rosary. The seed that is Jesus grows in you and with you. Allow Jesus to bear fruit through you and with you. Without Him, we can’t do much.

This is the 1551st installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Jess Ferrer, Head of the CFC Migrants Program, as he brings us today's reflection.]

Alamin kung paano tayo nabubusog in both our physical and spiritual body in this episode of Taste and See.

For references:
Bible:
Give us today our daily bread. Matt 6:1

Theology of the body:
The body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it. (TOB 19:4)

Catechism of the Catholic Faith
What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ, a flesh "given life and giving life through the Holy Spirit," preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism. (CCC 1392)

ARE WE GETTING DISCOURAGED IN LIVING OUT OUR MISSION?

First Reading: Second Corinthians 4: 7-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 126: 1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
Alleluia: John 15: 16
Gospel: Matthew 20: 20-28

In our Gospel reading today, the mother of James and John approached Jesus, hoping to gain places of honor for her sons. Jesus explains that honor in his Kingdom is for those who follow his example of laying down his life for his sheep. To follow Jesus means to take on the way of dying to ourselves to bring life to others. When James and his brother answered that they could drink the chalice that Jesus drinks, that is, share in his sufferings ⏤ they surely had little idea of what they were saying.

This is the 1550th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Rouquel Ponte, a member of the CFC Board of Elders, as he brings us today's reflection.]

HOW GENEROUS ARE YOU IN FULFILLING YOUR MISSION?

First Reading: Jeremiah 1: 1, 4-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 71: 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17
Gospel: Matthew 13: 1-9

We might consider the implications of today's parable in the way we view our work. Many of us would like to play it safe, sowing the word only in places where we think the risks of failure are less. We proclaim the Word only when we are confident that it will be well received, when those who receive it are likely to become contributing members of our community. We view our mission much in the way of corporations, holding tightly to our resources, wanting to make sure that nothing is wasted and that there will be more than adequate return on investments. In sowing the Word, we tend to stifle enthusiasm for mission. We refuse to entertain new ideas or view new horizons of mission for fear that they might not work ⏤ as though mistakes, failure or waste were to be avoided at all costs.

Jesus’ approach to mission runs contrary to our play-it-safe instincts. Our corporate minds may doubt the wisdom or efficiency of His methods, but Jesus assures us that the end result will be a great harvest. .

This is the 1549th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Raymond Bucu, South Asia Regional Coordinator and Provincial Area Head of Bulacan, as he brings us today's reflection.]