 | Daily Bible Reflections
for December 29, 2011 |
|  Dear Lordie,
Be blessed by His Creative Word this Thursday!
Praying for you,
Bo Sanchez
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| | Excuses , Excuses In accord with the dictate in the law of the Lord. –Luke 2:24 Don’t you find it strange that Jesus had to be brought to the temple and be presented to God? He is the Son of God! Surely, He’s exempt from these ceremonies. Joseph and Mary had the perfect excuse to stay home and avoid the trouble of traveling all the way to Jerusalem for Jesus’ presentation. But they still went through the trouble and, without any intention of offering an excuse, followed the ceremony because “it is written in the law of the Lord.” Seeing Joseph and Mary, it is shameful how we make excuses for ourselves. When we’re too lazy to hear Mass, we say that missing it will not make us evil and we’re still better than others who do hear Mass but are worse sinners than us. When we’re too proud to go to Confession, we justify that God already knows our sins and how sorry we are. When we’re too stingy to give tithes, we rationalize that we give to charity anyway. The excuses are endless. But if we know how much God loves us, we will realize that He asks so little and offering excuses actually makes no sense.Pepper Bruce (pepper.bruce@gmail.com) 29 REFLECTION: “The real man is one who always finds excuses for others, but never excuses himself.” (Henry Ward Beecher) Lord, sometimes we fail to appreciate that You love us so much that You gave us Your own Son. May we show our love in return through the sacraments and through serving You. | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | COMPANION | 1st READING Saint Thomas Becket belongs to a long list of martyrs who died because they would not compromise the spiritual authority of the Church to the whims and expediency of the state and politics. Becket would not allow the king to exercise his royal jurisdiction over what he, as Archbishop of Canterbury, considered the prerogatives of the church. Finally, four knights went to kill the Archbishop and his blood stained the floor of the monastery. 1John 2:3-11 3 Beloved: The way we may be sure that we know Jesus is to keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: 6 whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked. 7 Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 And yet I do write a new commandment to you, which holds true in him and among you, for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. 11 Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. P S A L M Psalms 96:1-2, 2-3, 5-6 R: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! 1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. 2 Sing to the LORD; bless his name. (R) Announce his salvation, day after day. 3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) 5 The LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty go before him; praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary. (R) G O S P E L Jesus challenges us here to make a total and absolute commitment to following Him even to the point of losing of our lives for His sake. Although we may not be called to die a martyr’s death, we are all called to die to our selfishness, pride and self-will. It is only when we let go of the things that we so firmly grasp that we experience the joy and freedom that Christ offers. Let us pray for the trust and love to give our all to our loving God. ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia A light of revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel. R: Alleluia, alleluia Luke 2:22-35 22 When the days were completed for their purification according to he law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” 24 and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 27 He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, 28 he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: 29 “Lord, now let your servant go in peace, your word has been fulfilled, 30 my own eyes have seen the salvation, 31 which you prepared in sight of every people, 32 a light to revel you to the nations and glory for your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted 35 (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” my reflections t h in k : Although we may not be called to die a martyr’s death, we are all called to die to our selfishness, pride and self-will. 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 Revelations 11-14 | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | SABBATH | Embracing the New Today in the Gospel, we see a meeting of the old and the new. For many years, Simeon has been waiting in the temple for the Anointed of the Lord. Mary brought the newborn Jesus to the old man Simeon for the customary ritual of the law. The old man Simeon welcomed the newborn Jesus in his arms and blessed God saying, “Now, Master, you can dismiss Your servant in peace; You have fulfilled Your Word. For my eyes have witnessed Your saving deed…” This is a beautiful imagery for all of us — the past embracing the present, the old welcoming the new. I remember this story. There was a man who had a drinking problem. One day, he made a resolution for the better. “I will kick this drinking habit.” After some days, he returned to the bottle. To help him, his wife set an appointment for him with a doctor. To demonstrate the power of alcohol and to convince him to stop, the doctor took a chicken liver and placed it inside a bottle of gin that he was fond of drinking. The liver, after some time, slowly melted in the powerful liquid. Shocked at what he saw, the man said, “From now on, I will no longer eat liver!” While change can augur progress and growth, it can also be threatening. Change can be intimidating. It’s not always easy to welcome the new especially when it means supplanting the old that we have grown accustomed to and comfortable with. The man in our story wanted to change from his old ways, but he was not willing to embrace the new challenges it would entail. Today, let us make a life inventory. Are you stuck in some old bad habits? Are there new ones that you have been avoiding to make? Fr. Joel O. Jason Reflection Question: In a few days, we will welcome a new year. What areas of the old are you needlessly holding on to? What new ones are you afraid to embrace because of its challenges? Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, I place my past in Your mercy, my present in Your kindness and my future in Your providence. Amen. St. Trophimus of Arles, pray for us. | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
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