After talking about the narrow door and the need to struggle to enter into it, Luke also records Jesus' saying on the requirements of discipleship. The requirements are not new, they are found here and there stated in the Gospel of Luke. What is new is that Jesus warns those who think of following him to think it through first. There are requirements to be met; discipleship is not for the happy-go-lucky.

The reading for the 22nd Sunday Year C presents Jesus in a dinner setting. This is the only time in Luke where Jesus' subject matter is the behavior of guests and hosts. What is the relationship of his advises about good behavior at the dining table to his overall teachings on the kingdom? Read the articles indicated below and and use the rest of the article as a guide for reflection

• Workshop: Dining with Jesus
• Mag-aral Tayo: Sa Hapag Kainan Kasama si Jesus

We have heard a certain group of people saying that salvation is unconditional so long as one accepts Jesus as Lord. The thing, however, is that when the phrase "so long" is added, salvation is no longer "unconditional" as supposed. More, there are certain texts in the New Testament which makes us think twice about the statement "salvation is unconditional". One such text is Luke 12:22-30. It begins with a question about salvation. Jesus answers, not only the question, but other unexpressed questions as well.

Read the relevant article here and use the following as guides for reflection

This year, the 20th Sunday of OT (Year C) coincides with the feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Assumption of Mary is a defined dogma of the Church, and given formal expression in Munificentissimus Deus (November 1, 1950) by Pope Pius XII. It is a dogma, that is, the clear formulation of a belief already existing in the Church and is proclaimed "in a form obliging the Christian people to an irrevocable adherence of faith" (CCC 88). How the dogma was defined is narrated by the Pius XII himself, a summary of which I have posted here.

Read the relevant articles about the liturgical readings for the day in the following posts and use the rest of this page as a guide for reflection

"Seek first the kingdom of God" may begin to sound like a truism unless its meaning is refreshed in the disciples' mind. In Luke 12:32-48, Jesus helps his disciples take this command to heart.

Read the relevant articles below and the use the rest of the page as your guide for reflection:

In different ways, Jesus taught his disciples that nothing can be weightier in this life than the Father and His kingdom. This idea applies even to the matter of wealth. Read the following articles and use the rest of this material as a guide for deepening your understanding of the text.

• Workshop: The Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21)
• Mag-aral Tayo: Ang Mayamang Hangal

The Lord Jesus does not only teach his disciples about God, he also teaches them how to experience God in prayer. It is in prayer, after all, that we come into contact with God. "Abba" -- this is the name Jesus calls the Father; translated into the Greek (Latin) "Pater", it loses a lot of its Aramaic flavor as a term of endearment and a word that expresses the intimacy between father and child. It's use in prayer is unique to Jesus, expressing the kind of unique relationship he has with the Father. And he wants his disciples to experience that same unique relationship in him and through him.

The theme of "the One" and "the Many" has long been a matter of reflection for philosophers. It is a question that touches one's existential project. In the Gospel of Luke, the question is approached from a different perspective and involves putting in a balance Christ, on the one hand, and the object of one's worries and anxieties on the other.

Read the relevant articles below, and use the rest of the page as a guide for reflection.

• Workshop: Martha and Mary
• Mag-aral: Ang Pagtanggap sa isang Propeta

It is easy to become a slogan-Christian. Familiarity can become over-familiarity and over-familiarity can make us take things for granted before it breeds contempt. Luke was addressing his gospel to Christians who have become so familiar with their faith that there were already some who were practically hypocritical: they easily mouthed Scriptures but do not live them. They have become slogan-Christians, quick-tongued, but slow in giving substance to their faith. The parable of the Good Samaritan is a challenge for this type of believers; Jesus forces them to re-think something familiar and live accordingly.

Read the following articles and use the rest of the page as your guide for reflection.

Along the way to Jerusalem, the Lord sends out a second group, the Seventy-two, to prepare the way for Him as He advances towards His goal. They are to go those places where He will visit, bringing peace and proclaiming the nearness of God's reign. The seventy-two is a type of the missionary Church sent forth to evangelize.

Read the following articles and use the rest of this page as your guide for reflection:

• The Christian Mission (Luke 10:1-24)
• The Mission of the Seventy-two
• Ang Pitumpu't Dalawa (Lukas 10:1-20)