The Feast Light QC Congressional

23/11/2022

THE FEAST QUEZON CITY
✓ SCHEDULE: Every Sunday
» 09:00 AM | Holy Catholic Mass
» 10:00 AM | Worship & Feast Talk

A. AYALA Mall Trinoma
» Cinema-6, 4th Floor
» EDSA-North Ave., QC
» facebook.com/TheFeastQCTrinoma

B. AYALA Fairview Terraces
» Cinema-4, 4th Floor
» Quirino Highway, QC
» facebook.com/TheFeastQCFT

23/11/2022

THE FEAST QUEZON CITY
✓ SCHEDULE: Every Sunday
» 09:00 AM | Holy Catholic Mass
» 10:00 AM | Worship & Feast Talk

A. AYALA Mall Trinoma
» Cinema-6, 4th Floor
» EDSA-North Ave., QC
» facebook.com/TheFeastQCTrinoma

B. AYALA Fairview Terraces
» Cinema-4, 4th Floor
» Quirino Highway, QC
» facebook.com/TheFeastQCFT

Feast North Triangle is a weekly Catholic gathering held every Sunday at Cinema 6, 4/F Ayala Malls Trinoma. Our mission is to share the Light of Jesus to others as effectively as possible, through evangelism, discipleship, community, ministry, & worship.

11/09/2022

Lord, you do not judge or discriminate against me, so long as I am willing to listen to your voice and respond to your promptings. Please continue to grant me your merciful grace, so that your call to holiness will triumph in the life of my soul. Let me rejoice with others.

11/09/2022

Lost and Found
Gospel Reading 09.11.22 Sun

Luke 15:1-10

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you came into this world to redeem sinners. I hope in you, and in your power to transform my soul, by your grace, from sinfulness to holiness. Lord, I love you and offer you the longings of my heart to put you truly first in my life. I want to love you with all my mind, heart, soul and strength.

Petition: Lord, save me from my sinful habits and help me grow in virtue.

“This Man Welcomes Sinners and Eats with Them”: Jesus is willing to sit down and share a meal with me. In other words, my Lord and Redeemer overlooks my unworthiness in order to speak with me. This attracts my attention. I know my guilt yet I do not feel judged, and so I draw near and listen to him. In so many of my misguided actions, I have sought personal benefits which I do not deserve. I accept, even demand favors from those around me, while hypocritically not respecting their needs or the common good. Often there is no difference between my lifestyle and that of a “tax collector” or “sinner.” Still, Jesus is willing to lower himself and share a meal at my table, despite the criticism and rebuke he receives on my account. I can connect with him at his level, since he has lowered himself to mine, in order to lift me up.

“Rejoice with Me Because I Have Found My Lost Sheep”: For Christ, every soul has value. Every soul has been created through him, in God’s image and likeness. No sin, while this time of mercy lasts, can escape the reach of the Redeemer’s infinite love. Christ has shed his blood and passed through death in order to save those souls who have died in their sins, and he restores them to life. All that I have to do is hear his shepherd’s voice that calls out to me and finds me where I am. I need only to let myself be found, let him take me up in his arms, let him dispel my darkness and fear by the warmth of his love, and let him return me to the fold. “Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation in grace” (CCC 654). Every sin confessed, and every new virtue acquired, is a triumph of God’s grace in my soul.

“Rejoice with Me Because I Have Found the Coin That I Lost”: In Christ, there is communion. No Christian is left to stand alone. God’s grace in a soul radiates out to others. This is one of the most beautiful fruits wrought by Christ’s redemption: A soul is brought into union with his Mystical Body. Communion between the members of Christ’s Body produces joy, and I am meant to proclaim it. In the same way that others rejoice whenever the light of God’s grace shines in my soul through good works (cf. Mt 5:16), so too, I should lift praise to God whenever I discover his goodness in others. “Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: ‘Go and tell my brethren.’ We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection” (CCC 654)

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you do not judge or discriminate against me, so long as I am willing to listen to your voice and respond to your promptings. Please continue to grant me your merciful grace, so that your call to holiness will triumph in the life of my soul. Let me rejoice with others.

Resolution: Today I will consciously choose to exercise a virtue that will help me break one of my sinful habits.

✅ Link: https://www.regnumchristi.org/en/september-11-2022-lost-and-found/

11/09/2022

My most righteous Lord, please have mercy upon me and heal me of my sins. Free me from all tendencies toward judgmentalness and help me, in imitation of You, to love and welcome the sinner in my midst so that I, as a sinner, will be welcomed by You. Jesus, I trust in You.

11/09/2022

Overcoming Self-Righteousness
Gospel Reading 09.11.22 Sun

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-2

What a foolish and arrogant thing to say! Jesus was merciful, welcoming, forgiving and loving to those who were sinners. And the Pharisees and scribes complained about this as if Jesus were doing something wrong.

On one level, it is understandable that the pride-filled scribes and Pharisees would look for anything they could to condemn Jesus. They were on a sort of “witch hunt,” so to speak, seeking to find any fault they could with our Lord. So, out of the fullness of their malice, they attempted to make it look like Jesus was an awful sinner due to the fact that He spent time with sinners and welcomed them.

From a perspective of the pure truth, however, the jealousy, envy, manipulation and deception of the scribes and Pharisees are clear. The “condemnation” they uttered against Jesus was no true condemnation at all. It was a fabrication and a twisting of the truth. The truth is that Jesus’ kindness to those who were sinners was a living out of His countless virtues. He was understanding, merciful, compassionate, patient, forgiving and the like. He saw troubled hearts and reached out to them in their need, especially when He could tell they were sorry, open and humble.

We may all encounter those who are religiously “self-righteous” at times. This is an ugly sin and one that should not sit well with us. The problem is that those who are self-righteous are oftentimes also intimidating and oppressive. Those who condemn others in the name of God are hard to confront. Jesus’ initial response was to ignore them and to go about His ministry of love and compassion, telling parables and helping those in need. But eventually He took these religious leaders on directly, condemning them for their pride and arrogance.

Reflect, today, upon any tendency you have in your heart to judge another, especially when you try to do so in the name of God. If you struggle with self-righteousness and pride, humble yourself now so that our Lord will not eventually be compelled to issue forth His justice on you!

My most righteous Lord, please have mercy upon me and heal me of my sins. Free me from all tendencies toward judgmentalness and help me, in imitation of You, to love and welcome the sinner in my midst so that I, as a sinner, will be welcomed by You. Jesus, I trust in You.

✅ Link: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2022/09/10/overcoming-self-righteousness-2/

11/09/2022

SABBATH REFLECTION
Gospel Reading 09.11.22 Sun

Are You Sorry?

On March 13, 2015, Pope Francis announced the Holy Year of Mercy which began on December 8, 2015 and ended on November 20, 2016. Pope Francis said that he wanted the whole Church “to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God, with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time.” To highlight the year, he had an exclusive conversation with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli on his reasons for declaring the Year of Mercy. The product of that conversation was his bestselling book The Name of God Is Mercy.

In the introduction of that book, Tornielli described how mercy is the hallmark of Pope Francis’ ministry and how this is illustrated in the story of a young priest named Gaston that appeared in the novel To Every Man a Penny.

A captured soldier was about to be executed and the priest Gaston heard his confession. The soldier confessed his passion for women and the countless amorous adventures he engaged in. The priest explained that he needed to repent to be forgiven and the soldier remarked, “How can I repent? It was something I enjoyed and if I had the chance I would do it again, even now. How can I repent?” Then the priest Gaston, with such love and mercy said, “But are you sorry that you are not sorry?” The young soldier said, “Yes, I am sorry that I am not sorry.” Upon hearing it, the priest gave the soldier absolution.

“Are you sorry that you are not sorry?” Let that sink in. And imagine Jesus saying that to you. Like the young soldier, our repentance is not always perfect. We know we will commit the same sins over and over again. We feel that confession is a useless exercise. But God’s mercy does not demand perfection. At the barest minimum, Jesus wants to know if we are sorry that we are not sorry. Read today’s Gospel. Jesus gives not one, not two, but three parables of mercy to show that sin does not disqualify us from the love of God.

To feel sorry that we are not sorry is the beginning grace penetrating our soul. To feel sorry that we are not sorry shows we are not beyond redemption despite our repeated shortcomings and attraction to sin. Fr. Joel O. Jason

reflection question

The name of God is mercy. He does not have mercy. He is mercy. His mercy does not depend on our conduct but on His character.

Jesus, I am so sorry that I am not always sorry for my sins. Amen.

10/09/2022

Lord, do not let me be lulled into a false sense of security just because my life is not so difficult in this moment. I want to be ready for the test. I want to be ready when the floods come. Help me to work today to strengthen the foundation of my spiritual life. Help me to grow in virtue.

10/09/2022

Know the Tree by Its Fruits
Gospel Reading 09.10.22 Sat

Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, here I am again spending time in prayer. I am going to meditate on your word. I do not want to be one of those people who cries out, “Lord, Lord,” but never does what you say. You know too well how weak I am, how many times I have trusted in my own strength and left you to one side. I come to you today in humility to ask for your light and your grace.

Petition: Lord, help me to build my life on a firm foundation.

Good Fruit from a Good Tree: How will we know what lies deep down in our souls? We will know from the kind of fruit we produce. If our lives are examples of charity, faith, patience and honesty, we know that our soul is healthy and strong. If our lives are examples of anger, envy, lust, selfishness or laziness, then we know that there is a weak and sickly soul inside. If we want to change, we cannot simply try to change the appearances—to put on a nice face or pretend to be a good person. Sooner or later the mask will fall, because it is only hiding something rotten inside. We must change from within, go deep down to the root of our defects, heal our soul in the sacrament of penance, and work to build a life of virtue from the very foundation.

False Security: When the sun is shining and all is calm, a house built on a weak foundation seems very strong and sturdy. It is hard to believe that it will not withstand the force of rain, wind and floods. We sometimes have a false security in our lives when all is going well. When there are no big temptations, when the trials and difficulties of life are small and easily overcome, we can convince ourselves that we are on solid ground. We can be lulled into thinking that our spiritual life is strong and that we will never fall into sin as we have in the past. We must be careful and very objective because this may be a false security.

The Test: The true test of the foundation comes when the rain starts, the wind blows and the floodwaters rise. The test of our spiritual lives comes with temptations, difficulties, disappointments and trials. If we have built our spiritual lives on a firm foundation of virtue, self-denial and union with God, it does not matter how hard the floods come down against us: We will stand firm. We must keep in mind that in the moment of the flood we will not be able to go out to fix the foundation. It will be too late. We must work on building a strong foundation while the sun is shining so we will be ready for the test. We must act on the words of Christ now, in this moment, while there is still time.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, do not let me be lulled into a false sense of security just because my life is not so difficult in this moment. I want to be ready for the test. I want to be ready when the floods come. Help me to work today to strengthen the foundation of my spiritual life. Help me to grow in virtue.

Resolution: I will concentrate today on practicing one virtue that I know I need to work on.

✅ Link: https://www.regnumchristi.org/en/september-10-2022-know-the-tree-by-its-fruits/

10/09/2022

Lord, You are my rock and my strength. You alone support me through all things in life. Help me to rely upon You even more, so that I may daily accomplish all that You call me to do. Jesus, I trust in You.

10/09/2022

A Rock Foundation
Gospel Reading 09.10.22 Sat

“I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built.” Luke 6:47-48

What does your foundation look like? Is it solid rock? Or is it sand? This Gospel passage reveals the importance of a solid foundation for life.

A foundation is not often thought about or worried about unless it gives way. This is important to reflect upon. When a foundation is solid it often goes unnoticed and there is little concern during storms at any time.

The same is true of our spiritual foundation. The spiritual foundation we are called to have is one of deep faith grounded in prayer. Our foundation is our daily communication with Christ. In that prayer Jesus Himself becomes the foundation for our life. And when He is the foundation of our life, nothing can harm us and nothing can keep us from fulfilling our mission in life.

Contrast this with a weak foundation. A weak foundation is one that relies upon oneself as the source of stability and strength in times of hardship. But the truth is that none of us are strong enough to be our own foundation. Those who attempt this approach are fools who learn the hard way that they cannot endure any storm life throws at them.

Reflect, today, upon how well the foundation of your life has been built. When it’s strong, you can give your attention to many other aspects of your life. When it’s weak, you will continually be doing damage control as you seek to keep your life from falling apart. Recommit yourself to a life of deep prayer so that Christ Jesus will be the solid rock foundation of your life.

Lord, You are my rock and my strength. You alone support me through all things in life. Help me to rely upon You even more, so that I may daily accomplish all that You call me to do. Jesus, I trust in You.

✅ Link: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2022/09/09/a-rock-foundation/