Lordie, God's Message For You Today, May 4, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for May 4, 2011 Dear Lordie, This Wednesday, may you hear His voice in your heart! Praying for you, Bo Sanchez PS. Do you live in the Philippines? Sign up for Bo's weekly  cellphone message. This is FREE. (That is why you have to live in the Philippines to sign up for this service.) Text:   BOSEZ_<your full name>_ <your email address> and send to any of the following numbers: Globe (09178494444); Smart (09088949999); Sun (09228945555) And you'll start receiving Bo's inspiring message to encourage you, guide you, and bless your week.   4 May Wednesday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   NANAY’s healing   “Everyone who believes in Him might not perish...” – John 3:16   Nanay’s blood sugar was so high that we had to go back and forth to the hospital. To make matters worse, she vomited and moved blood profusely. It was difficult for me to care for her all by myself but I had to act quickly. She was already malnourished and looking like a scarecrow! We were refused admission to the charity ward many times so I decided to have her admitted in the pay ward.           She underwent endoscopy and colonoscopy, which made me nervous remembering the same procedures were done on the late ex-President Cory Aquino before her death. Will my mother die, too? I asked myself. Other worrisome incidents also happened but God mercifully took care of them. Despite the erroneous entry of my mother’s name as my dependent, we were able to claim Philhealth benefits. Then we didn’t have a discharge  clearance due to non-payment of the doctors’ professional fees. But the doctor’s secretary said, “Ma’am, God heard your prayers. My bosses gave you a bigger discount than what you asked for!” Nanay is now 81 and doing very well. Beth Corral (bethcorral_0330@yahoo.com)   REFLECTION: Jesus loves me that much – you, too! He will give whatever is best for you and me.   Nothing is impossible with You, Lord. Thank You for Nanay’s healing.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   It seems remarkable that the leaders of the Jewish people failed to recognize that something extraordinary was going on with the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus. That men could “escape” from prison through doors that remained locked seems to be a good indicator that they should have heeded more carefully. Yet, as there is no point worrying about something we cannot change, the question that we have to ask ourselves is, “How are we going to respond to the story as it is presented to us today?” It is the nature of the Gospel proclamation and all that goes with it that it demands from the hearer a response. To ignore the Gospel is a risky business as we will all eventually have to give an account for our actions.   Acts 5:17-26 17 The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, 18 laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, 20 “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” 21 When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.  When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the Israelites, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. 22 But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 When they heard this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to. 25 Then someone came in and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.   P S A L M Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor. 1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 3 [4] Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. 4 [5] I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (R) 5 [6] Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 6 [7] When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. (R) 7 [8] The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 [9] Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. (R)   G O S P E L   It is important that we remember that God does not have an intention to condemn us for our sins but to offer us  forgiveness if we want it. These two options are at the opposite end of the spectrum of possibilities. Let us be thankful that our God is merciful and compassionate and that we can be sure that He does all in His power to help us follow Him as His disciples. 2 Chronicles 21-22 ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life. R: Alleluia, alleluia   John 3:16-21 16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. 21 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.   my reflections t h i n k : We can be sure that He does all in His power to help us follow Him as His disciples.   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 2 Chronicles 21-22     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   LIVING THE TRUTH AND COMING TO THE LIGHT   The national elections held last year are a case study on truth and the coming to the light of many things about the lives of candidates. We saw a lot of muckraking, mud-slinging, and a whole lot more in the dirty tricks department coming to the fore in the run-up towards election day. In a very real sense, what was hidden often came to light and, thanks to the often close (and biased) scrutiny of either a hostile or friendly media outfit, the fates of certain candidates were either sealed or seared. But this refers to nothing more than superficial “truth” co-opted for shallow political ends. The saints give ample testimony to the power of a higher brand of truth — evangelical and moral truth, and how it ultimately leads to the light. No earthly power has yet managed to upstage what even Gandhi calls the “force of truth” (satyagraha). Envy and jealousy temporarily knocked out” individuals like St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, St. Benedict Menni and many others. But you can’t keep a good man down forever. One of my favorite biographies of saints is precisely that of Benedict Menni, the founder of the  Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Hearts. Entitled KO in Terra; OK in Cielo (KO on Earth; OK in Heaven), it tells of the heroic moral sufferings that St. Benedict endured in his lifetime, even in his exile in France where he died. But in the end, the truth prevailed. His detractors are now forgotten, but his name has come to the light of earthly and heavenly glory. This is the truth that also comes to light in the stories that we read daily from the Acts of the Apostles, including today’s first reading. The apostles did many signs and wonders. The Sanhedrin and the authorities were at their wits’ end, trying to quell their rising popularity, to no avail, “because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.” We all have our own stories to tell of bitter undeserved pain. But today’s readings, along with the examples of the saints, ought to convince us of this: living the truth is never far from coming to the light. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB   Reflection Question: How do I handle criticisms against me that are not founded on truth?   Lord, grant me the grace to always seek to live in the truth.   St. Venerius, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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Lordie, God's Message For You Today, May 3, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for May 3, 2011 Dear Lordie, Reflect God?s love to every person you meet this Tuesday. Praying for you, Bo Sanchez PS. Do you live in the Philippines? Sign up for Bo's weekly  cellphone message. This is FREE. (That is why you have to live in the Philippines to sign up for this service.) Text:   BOSEZ_<your full name>_ <your email address> and send to any of the following numbers: Globe (09178494444); Smart (09088949999); Sun (09228945555) And you'll start receiving Bo's inspiring message to encourage you, guide you, and bless your week.   3 May Tuesday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles   SINGLE   And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. – John 14:13   I am Joyce Sosoban, single for a long while now — since I was born actually. There was a time when I prayed if I should stay single forever, become a nun or get married. After much prayer, I realized that I was for marriage. But that was quite sometime ago. There came a time when I was unsure if I could serve the Lord well if I got married. Still, I want to get married. I don’t know what my state in life will be by the time you read this, but for now, my prayer seems to have been unanswered. There were times when I felt really down, especially when a relationship I had hoped for went pffft. I had to take stock of reality once again: I am alone. You might wonder, do I, therefore, think God has been inconsistent with His Word in today’s Gospel? I don’t think so. For one, I’m not God — and, thank you very much, I am happy He is and I’m not. So I’m still perfectly sure He never lies. In the end, as long as I can give glory to Him in my life — in joy or pain — that is good enough for me. Single or not. That I truly pray for. Joy Sosoban (jsosoban@gmail.com) 3 REFLECTION: Do you doubt God because of your unanswered prayer?   Dear Lord, help me to believe that You are working out what is best for me and will answer me in Your time.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   The nature of the Gospel is that it does not change. What Jesus passed on to His disciples is exactly the same message that we pass on to the next generation of Christians today! Yes, the language in which these truths are expressed may have changed, but the fundamental truths have not. Paul affirms this as he writes to the Corinthian Community and affirms that his message is not something of his own invention or innovation. The means of proclaiming the Gospel may change, but its message is and always will remain immutable.   1 Corinthians 15:1-8 1 I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. 2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; 4 that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; 5 that he appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.   P S A L M   Psalms 19:2-3, 4-5 R: Their message goes out through all the earth. 1 [2] The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2 [3] Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. (R) 3 [4] Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; 4 [5] through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message. (R)   G O S P E L   Jesus tells His disciples that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. These three descriptions of salvation could be the basis of many reflections. Therefore, let us be aware that it is a great mistake to limit our understanding and expectation of the ways and means by which God will work in our lives. There is nothing limited about our God except that which is logically impossible. God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit will continue to surprise us in our faith walks so long as we remain open to their working in our lives. Let us make a commitment to keep the doors open wide to God so that He can fill us with His goodness, lead us with His truth and transform us in His love.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord; Philip, whoever has seen me has seen the Father. R: Alleluia, alleluia John 14:6-14 6 Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. 12 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”   my reflections think: Let us make a commitment to keep the doors open wide to God so that He can fill us with His goodness, lead us with His truth and transform us in His love.   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 2 Chronicles 19-20       Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   THAT WILL BE ENOUGH FOR US    “Pinoy Henyo” of GMA 7’s lunchtime program Eat Bulagahas taken the whole Philippines (and the Pinoy diaspora all over the world) by storm. The game is now played in almost every birthday party, every reunion or Christmas gathering of friends and family where Pinoys find themselves together with plenty of time to spare. We all know what it is about — basically a search for the exact right word or concept, with only a “yes” or “no” for clues from the teammate. One is always in search and for those who follow a certain logic, they stand greater chances of getting the right answer. But, with logic and all, it all boils down to educated guesswork. Today, our saints of the day remind us about searching and finding. Philip was one “discoverer” who did not keep silent about his big find: “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote.” James, the great apostle, according to long standing tradition, went to far-flung places and implanted the Church in Compostela, Spain, prior to his beheading in Jerusalem under Herod Agrippa. Philip, ever on the quest, had it in him to seek for solutions to whatever predicament he found himself in. He asked that famous question when crowds followed the Lord out in the desert: “Where can we buy enough food to feed them all?” Philip was in search of what was “enough.” He was on a quest for the ultimate. Today’s Gospel shows us this much: “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Christian life is a quest for our “enough.” Paul Tillich the philosopher has a big word for this — “ultimate concern” — compared to whom all else pales, and beyond whom there ought to be no other. It is a little like playing “Pinoy Henyo,” except that we are in search, not just for a term or concept that can be answered with a “yes” or “no,” and not just for a few thousand pesos reward. Searching and finding — this is what we Christians are engaged in. And our quest ends when we find our “enough” — God and His kingdom!  Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB   Reflection Question: Have you found your “enough?”   Lord, may my heart find its rest in You.   St. Philip of Zell, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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Lordie, God's Message For You Today, May 2, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for May 2, 2011 Dear Lordie, Carry the Lord in your heart this Monday! Praying for you, Bo Sanchez PS. Do you live in the Philippines? Sign up for Bo's weekly  cellphone message. This is FREE. (That is why you have to live in the Philippines to sign up for this service.) Text:   BOSEZ_<your full name>_ <your email address> and send to any of the following numbers: Globe (09178494444); Smart (09088949999); Sun (09228945555) And you'll start receiving Bo's inspiring message to encourage you, guide you, and bless your week.   2 May Monday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   morning offering   For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. – 1 John 5:3-4   I try to start my day at work with a short prayer and reading of the Lord’s Word. It is my way of offering my whole day to him, and acknowledging that He comes first and foremost in all that I do for the day. On the days that I forget to offer my work day to him, I find myself more stressed — more burdened by the demands of work. I am irritable and more likely to snap and be angry at people. On such days, I feel more tired and spent. But during the times that I am able to consecrate my work day to the Lord, I find that, without fail, I have more energy to finish the work before me. I am more pleasant in my dealings with my colleagues and officemates. I am generally at peace — confident that the Lord is guiding me in all that I do. And it all starts by showing my love to the Lord — by consecrating my day to Him. After that, and for the rest of the day, I carry no burdens. Instead, I carry His peace. Jay Catral (jaycatral@yahoo.com)   REFLECTION: The Lord’s commandments are not burdensome, because by following them we are steered away from the path of selfishness and sin, and unto the path of righteousness.   Lord, send us Your Holy Spirit to guide us that we may not falter in obeying Your commandments.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   How we deal with suffering and persecution is often dependent upon the attitude we take toward them. If we think suffering cannot bring good to us we will be in trouble as there will always be an element of suffering in our lives because of the existence of sin. With this as a given we can then develop an understanding and trust in the truth that Scripture reminds us of, namely that God can purify us through suffering and also bring about His redemptive grace through it. Thus the early Christians rejoice at the prospect of suffering for the sake of the Gospel.   Acts 4:23-31 23 After their release Peter and John went back to their own people and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them. 24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them, 25 you said by the holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain folly? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.’ 27 Indeed they gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do what your hand and your will had long ago planned to take place. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 as you stretch forth your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.   P S A L M   Psalms 2:1-3, 4-7, 7-9 R: Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord. 1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples utter folly? 2 The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes conspire together against the LORD and against his anointed: 3 “Let us break their fetters and cast their bonds from us!” (R) 4 He who is throned in heaven laughs; the LORD derides them. 5 Then in anger he speaks to them; he terrifies them in his wrath. 6 “I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD. (R) The LORD said to me, “You are my son; this day I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. 9 You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.” (R)   G O S P E L     To be baptized is not really enough to guarantee our salvation. Yes, baptism is the sacramental means by which we receive the gift of salvation, but we must learn to live out the graces of baptism if salvation is going to have any lasting effect upon us. Salvation is a dynamic reality that is lived in relationship with another, namely God. It is not a static reality that is received and ends with reception. This is why the saints talk about a living relationship with God being the strength and motivation of their ministries.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. R: Alleluia, alleluia   John 3:1-8 1 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”   my reflections t h i n k : Salvation is a dynamic reality that is lived in relationship with another, namely God.   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 2 Chronicles 17-18         Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   SPEAKING THE WORD WITH BOLDNESS   It was difficult enough for this group of “upstarts” – followers of the Galilean, widely rumored to have done some unheard of “return” from the land of Hades, the realm of the dead, to be seen anywhere in public. But what made it worse for Peter and John was when they came to the rescue of a crippled beggar and told him to “rise up and walk.” Now that was too much for the authorities to bear. They were made to face the equivalent of a senate investigation — the Sanhedrin. But we do know that Peter and John passed the rigorous scrutiny of the investigators. What we may not know, however, is what it took for them to go beyond fear and human respect and to come out of it in one piece. The first reading today offers us a clue. Let’s get it straight from the horse’s mouth. “Why are you amazed at this,” they asked the crowds, “as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety? No, it was not us, but the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and Jacob. It is He who has glorified his servant Jesus.” As I write, I am reminded of the big “mining” industry all over the world — the “I, Me and Mine” business that we all are prone to, the propensity to claim as our own what is inherently not ours, the tendency to attribute to our talents, real or imagined, the good things that come out of our puny human efforts. But there is one thing, though, that stands out in the case of Peter and John, apart from the fact that they did not fall prey to this “mining industry.” They spoke with boldness. They spoke with courage. And as we saw yesterday, they were on fire with commitment and dedication. But then again, to whom did they attribute all this to? The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (4:23-31) tells us in no uncertain terms. They prayed for it. “Enable Your servants to speak Your word with boldness.” And what they asked for, they got. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB   Reflection Question: What do you pray for? Speak to the Lord with courage and boldness.   Lord, grant me not only courage and boldness, but also faith and trust that You are listening to my prayers. Amen.   St. Joseph Luu, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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