 | Daily Bible Reflections
for July 23, 2010 |
|  Dear Lordie,
May others see Jesus in you this Friday.
Praying for you,
Bo Sanchez
| | TILLING TIME “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirty fold.” – Matthew 13:23 The Savannah series by Christian author Denise Hildreth are among my favorite books. It’s a story about a Southern girl, Savannah, named after her hometown in Georgia, who comes back to her hometown after thinking her mother was still trying to control her life from where she was, even if she was already 27 years old. The three books contain a series of crazy anecdotes about Savannah’s new life back in her hometown with her wacky family, her best friend, potential love interest and the ever challenging work as a writer. In the three books, there was always a common thing that the author never failed to mention: Savannah’s “tilling time.” Savannah is a jogger and she uses her early morning runs to pray and till the soil of her heart: to make sure she’s ready to receive God’s Word so it will actually take root. I know it’s fiction but it’s inspiring to read about someone who is this devoted. May we find the same devotion as Savannah in making our hearts ready. Tina Matanguihan (tina.matanguihan@gmail.com) REFLECTION: “Unless we [spend] time preparing the soil of our hearts through prayer and actually dusting off the coffee table Bible, no seed will ever take root.” (Denise Hildreth) Father, give me a ready heart. | |
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| | COMPANION | 1st READING Once again we hear a call to repentance — to return to the Lord with the intention of reforming one’s ways. This is the heart of the Gospel proclamation — first repentance and then conversion and growth in holiness and discipleship. It is not hard for us to realize that sin is wrong. We just have to look at the mess and hurt it leaves behind. Even without God’s call to repentance, we should seek to change our lives out of respect for our neighbor. Jeremiah 3:14-17 14 Return, rebellious children, says the LORD, for I am your Master; I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. 15 I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently. 16 When you multiply and become fruitful in the land, says the LORD, they will in those days no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD!” They will no longer think of it, or remember it, or miss it, or make another. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD’s throne; there all nations will be gathered together to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem, and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness. P S A L M Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13 R: The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. (R) 11 The LORD shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings: the grain, the wine, and the oil, the sheep and the oxen. (R) 13 Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. (R) GOSPEL Obedience to the Word of the Lord reaps an eternal reward beyond our imagination. The promise of a hundredfold harvest is virtually unheard of in the farming world. A factor of 10 is far more believable. But we are dealing with God here and anything is possible for Him. The fact is that we do not deserve or earn any harvest for our lives — it is all a gift from Him. Yes, obedience is necessary but that is the minimum that we should give. Matthew 13:18-23 18 Jesus said to his disciples: “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. 20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. 21 But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. 22 The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. 23 But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” my reflections t h i n k : Obedience to the Word of the Lord reaps an eternal reward beyond our imagination. _________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________ _______________________________________________________ READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Tobit 12-24 | |
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| | SABBATH | LEARNING TO PROTECT OUR FAITH One of the greatest lessons we learn from the lives of the martyrs is that our faith is worth protecting even to the point of our death. Satan is always looking for ways to snatch from us the many gifts that God has given us. If we are not alert to his machinations, if we are lazy and fail to guard well our faith and blessings, we will wake up one morning and find them all gone. Faith is the most precious gift we are given next to life itself. We recognize how fragile the gift of life is — how easily life is snuffed out through carelessness and neglect. The same is true of our faith. The only way to really protect the gift of faith is to exercise it regularly by praying, studying the Word of God and living our faith as witnesses to the Good News of salvation. If we are faithful in these small things — none of them is that costly to us — we will find that our faith strengthens and we become more certain of the place and role of God in our lives. One of the difficulties in the life of a disciple is convincing ourselves that the cost to follow Jesus is worth it. Perhaps one way to help us in this regard is to try to imagine how our life would be without faith. What would it be like if we do not believe in God? I think life would be pretty empty. However, reflecting on such a reality will pale in significance if one considers eternity. If there is no God, then when you die, that’s it. There is no eternal life to look forward to. At most, you’d become a fertilizer for the plants. The parable today invites us to build our lives on our faith in God and to provide a fertile place for His Word and will to grow in our lives. Let us pray that we will choose sensibly and do as the Lord invites us.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL Reflection Question: Have I ever reflected on the possibility that God does not exist? Can I make sense of life if this were the case? Morality has no basis unless there is an ultimate good. Lord Jesus, help me to realize that my freedom is curtailed by the existence of truth and it is this truth that comes from You that provides the framework for a healthy and fulfilling life. Martyrs of Bulgaria, pray for us. | |
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Preacher in Blue Jeans
1. The FEAST is the one of the happiest places on earth. Find one near you!
PICC Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. PICC, Roxas Blvd. Preacher: Bo Sanchez Pasig Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Valle Verde Country Club (beside The ULTRA) Preachers: George Gabriel and Obet Cabrillas Quezon City Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Convention Hall, Bureau of Soils, Visayas Ave., Q.C. Preacher: Eng Si South Sunday 11:00 a.m - 12:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Cinema 10, Festival Mall, Alabang
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Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Valley Fair Arcade, Ortigas Ext. Taytay, Rizal Preacher: Pio Espanol Bustos Sunday 2:30 p.m - 5:30 p.m. San isidro labrador Parish, Liciada, Bustos Preacher: Chito Manaois Ortigas Monday 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Roofdeck, Prestige Tower, F. Ortigas Ave., Pasig City
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2/F Activity Center, Pavillion Mall, Km. 35 San Antonio, Binan, Laguna Preacher: Hermie Morelos Marilao Saturday, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Cinema 2, SM Marilao, Bulacan Preacher: Alvin Barcelona
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