 | Daily Bible Reflections
for June 27, 2011 |
|  Dear Lordie,
Be God?s blessing to the world this Monday!
Praying for you,
Bo Sanchez
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| | IF -THEN –ELSE A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” – Matthew 8:19-20 In computer programming, there is a procedure known as the “IF-THEN-ELSE” statement. For example, you have a program that asks: “What is 1 + 1?” The answer can be programmed like this: IF answer = 2, THEN display message “Correct!” ELSE display message “Incorrect.” Many of us are programmed with the IF-THEN-ELSE statement. IF our lives are OK, THEN we take time to pray and put our faith in God. ELSE, we forget about praying and relying on God and go our own way. IF serving is easy, THEN we serve. ELSE, we say no, I’m busy. IF somebody is watching us, THEN we do the right thing. ELSE, we try to get away with the wrong thing. But we can change our programming with God’s grace and mercy. When faced with uncertainties and temptations, just say this popular teen expression: WHATEVER! 27 REFLECTION: Is my obedience to God dependent on feelings and circumstances? Dear Lord, I will follow You whatever the circumstances may be. Whether the way is easy or hard, I will rely on You alone. Amen. | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | COMPANION | 1st READING God is indeed a merciful God and Abraham a bold man to approach God as he did. It is important for us to learn from the boldness of Abraham but also to know that, if we are going to put such a proposal before God, we will be able to deliver accordingly. We can be sure that God will be merciful but can we ensure that people will respond to His mercy? Let us pray that we all receive and act upon the grace to repent given to us by God. Genesis 18:16-33 16 Abraham and the men who had visited him by the Terebinth of Mamre set out from there and looked down toward Sodom; Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way. 17 The LORD reflected: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 now that he is to become a great and populous nation, and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him? 19 Indeed, I have singled him out that he may direct his sons and his posterity to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD may carry into effect for Abraham the promises he made about him.” 20 Then the LORD said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, 21 that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out.” 22 While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham. 23 Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said: “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? 24 Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?” 26 The LORD replied, “If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham spoke up again: “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! 28 What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” “I will not destroy it,” he answered, “if I find forty-five there.” 29 But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it for the sake of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it if I can find but thirty there.” 31 Still he went on, “Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” “I will not destroy it,” he answered, “for the sake of the twenty.” 32 But he still persisted: “Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?” “For the sake of those ten,” he replied, “I will not destroy it.” 33 The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home. P S A L M Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 10-11 R: The Lord is kind and merciful. 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (R) 3 He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. 4 He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. (R) 8 Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. 9 He will not always chide, nor does he keep his wrath forever. (R) 10 Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. (R) G O S P E L Jesus makes it very clear to those who want to follow Him that it will not be an easy life. The life of discipleship is about being disciplined in all things especially those that have to do with our faith. This means being willing to make the hard choices involved in avoiding sin and doing good. If we are not ready to do this then we had better pray for the grace of surrender because the longer we leave such a decision, the more difficult it will get. ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. R: Alleluia, alleluia Matthew 8:18-22 18 When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore. 19 A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” my reflections t h i n k: We can be sure that God will be merciful but can we ensure that people will respond to His mercy? 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 26-30 | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | SABBATH | BARGAINING WITH THE LORD Both readings today present a kind of “bargaining.” In the first reading, we have Abraham pleading on behalf of the people of Sodom; in the Gospel, two prospective followers of Jesus try to bargain with Him. The strange thing is that in both readings, the final result of the bargaining isn’t mentioned. In the first reading, we can easily check it in the rest of the Book of Genesis. But in the Gospel, we do not know what happened eventually with that scribe who presented himself and with the other one who asked permission from the Lord to let him go and bury his father first. Our Lord answered their pleas quite curtly as well as cryptically. Certainly Jesus isn’t one who will waste His words on wavering wimps or sugar-coat them into attractive enticements just to adjust to His prospective disciples’ tastes. We can almost hear Him say, “If you don’t want to (or if you can’t seem to) follow me, well, no problem!” The loss wouldn’t be on Jesus at all, should anyone back out because of such a radical message. Whatever it is, the burden of the proof is always on the one being invited, the one who first hears Jesus’ call. Using other examples from the Gospel, religious educator and writer James DiGiacomo, S.J., puts it beautifully, “[Jesus] is unwavering in His determination to tell it like it is, no matter what the cost. If this uncompromising honesty leaves Him with few or even no disciples, then so be it. He is organizing a trip through the narrow gate, and crowds need not apply. If the rich young man cannot stand the idea of not being rich, let him stay home and count his money. If the young fishermen aren’t ready to leave their nets, they’re not ready to follow Him. If Peter doesn’t want to hear about the Cross, he can stay in Caesarea Philippi where it’s safe, but the first team is going to Jerusalem” (Morality and Youth: Fostering Christian Identity). Hopefully, in the end, we will not need at all to bargain with the Lord because in the first place, we shall be unwavering in our following Him. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB Reflection Question: Have you ever bargained with the Lord? Are you still hemming and hawing in totally following Him? Free me, Lord, from whatever is pulling me back from taking my spiritual journey seriously. Amen. St. Laszlo, pray for us. | |
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