 | Daily Bible Reflections
for June 24, 2011 |
|  Dear Lordie,
Offer your hardships and trials to the Lord this Friday.
Praying for you,
Bo Sanchez
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| | Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist 24 criticism and praise Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God. – Isaiah 49:4 I was catching up with reading three weeks’ worth of emails from readers of our publications. I received three consecutive emails reacting to a reflection I wrote for Didache that day. One after another, the senders criticized my use of the word “dictator” for President Ferdinand Marcos. Honestly, I didn’t mean to offend anyone and had related the story of the Marcoses’ hasty departure from the Malacañang as a historical fact. By the third email, I was already feeling down. But as I continued reading my emails, another string of messages came, telling me how another Didache reflection I had written had touched them. This time, I received thrice as many encouraging emails than those that had criticized my previous reflection. I sat in church that morning thanking God for the criticisms and the praise. The former taught me to be more sensitive to the implications of the words I use. It also humbled me. As for the praise, I took it as God’s way of telling me to keep on with what I’m doing even if I can’t please everybody all the time. Rissa Singson-Kawpeng (justbreatherissa@gmail.com) REFLECTION: “It is not the critic who counts.... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena... who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is no effort without error and shortcomings.” (Theodore Roosevelt) Lord, help me to accept criticism humbly and praise You even more so. | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | COMPANION | 1st READING John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. Each of us is called to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus into our lives, and if possible, to help others to do the same thing. This is what evangelization is all about; proclaiming the Gospel is preparing the way for the coming of Christ into the hearts of the men and women of this world. In this way we are the light set on a hill top that can never be overshadowed. In this way we become the light to the nations we are all called to be. Isaiah 49:1-6 1 Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 2 He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. 3 You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. 4 Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. 5 For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! 6 It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. P S A L M Psalms 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15 R: I praise you for I am wonderfully made. 1 O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) 13 Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. 14 I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. (R) My soul also you knew full well; 15 nor was my frame unknown to you when I was made in secret, when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth. (R) 2nd READING Each of the Apostles, and we who are called to be modern day apostles, had a role to play in bringing the Gospel to the world. It does not matter what our role is – that has been decided by God and who are we to challenge His wisdom? What matters is that we are faithful to our calling. Paul and Barnabas have just been set apart for the Gospel to the Gentiles. They begin their mission not knowing where it will lead or what will happen. Let us learn to trust in the Lord for our own mission as well. Acts 13:22-26 22 In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as their king; of him he testified, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.’ 23 From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. 24 John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; 25 and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’ 26 My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent.” G O S P E L When John was still in the womb of Elizabeth he was able to recognize that in the womb of Mary lay the Christ child, the Savior of all. As we remember the birth of John the Baptist we celebrate the miracle of his conception to the aged Elizabeth and also the return of Zechariah’s voice. He has obviously learned his lesson. I wonder how Zechariah experienced his silence? I wonder what it would be like to be silent for nine months? Perhaps in the silence he was better able to hear God’s voice. ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. R: Alleluia, alleluia Luke 1:57-66, 80 57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” 61 But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. 65 Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. 80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. my reflections t h i n kx : Let us learn to trust in the Lord for our own mission as well. God’s special verse/thought for me today________________ _________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________ _______________________________________________________ READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 11-15 | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | SABBATH | A MOMENTOUS AND CONSEQUENTIAL BIRTH First and foremost, why the big fuss at all over John the Baptist’s name? To the cynical Shakespeare’s “What’s in a name?” the ancient Romans had an answer: “Nomen est omen” — a name is an omen, a portent of things to come, a symbol of the person’s identity and mission. With a name that means “Yahweh is gracious,” the most popular masculine name in the world (John, Jean, Juan, Joan, Giovanni, Ian, Jan, Hans, Ivan, Johann, Johannes, etc.) is surely worth the fuss! More so for the one whose birth we commemorate and who we are honoring today. As the herald, precursor and “pointer” of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist held his unique vocation and mission in life, carrying out a concrete assignment both unrepeatable and irreplaceable. Just as a name, even if with several namesakes, is unique to an individual person, so, too, is his identity and mission. Ask yourself then: What does your birth bring? What does your name mean or symbolize? And finally, what does your mission and vocation entail? Remember that there are only three instances in the liturgical calendar when births are commemorated: Jesus’ (December 25), Mary’s (September 8), and this one of John the Baptist today. All the rest of the saints’ feasts and memorials are usually taken from the days of their death. Moreover, it’s as if the words of Jesus no less were the canonization statement of John himself (Matthew 11:11): “History had not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer.” Our own birthdays may not have profound consequences in world history (much less in the history of salvation) and we may not have veritable earth-shaking missions to carry out in life. But each of us is no less important in God’s eyes. For all its enigmatic tone, there is truth in what Jesus said: “Yet the least born into the kingdom of God is greater than he.” May St. John the Baptist himself be our guide and example in life. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB Reflection Question: Your name points to your mission in life. What does your name mean? Thank You, Father, for my name and for what it means in Your Kingdom. St. Germoc, pray for us. | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
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