Lordie, God's Message For You Today, May 11, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for May 11, 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.   11 May Wednesday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   GREAT PROVIDER   “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35   The widow in Zarephath never ran out of oil and flour. The Israelites ate manna and quail while journeying through the desert. The crowd of 5,000 had their fill of bread and fish and there were even 12 baskets of leftover food. These are but just some of the ways the Lord, our Great Provider, has shown His faithfulness in satisfying our every need — may it be temporal or spiritual. Our family, too, has been at the receiving end of the Lord’s unending generosity. I remember an unforgettable incident when our budget ran out and the only food in our cupboard were some canned goods. In His unpredictably divine way, the Lord surprised our family with an abundance of fresh bangus (milkfish), vegetables and fruits given by my mom’s friend who came exactly at the time our supplies ran out. Indeed, the Heavenly Father will never allow His beloved people to go hungry or be thirsty. His generosity is endless that He even gave His Son, Jesus, to us as bread and wine which we partake of in the Eucharist so that we may be nourished in every way. Dina Pecaña (dpecana@yahoo.com) 11 REFLECTION: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Isaiah 55:1)   I trust You, Father, to provide for all that I need even before I ask. Thank You for nourishing all of me – body, spirit and soul.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   Stephen’s death seems to be a sort of catalyst that helps people discover where they stand as regards this new religion based on Christ. Many Christians are forced to flee from Jerusalem for fear of death and so begins the Christian diaspora. The Gospel is set upon its path that will take it to the ends of the earth. We are all a part of this work; let us seek to discern our role and then pray for the grace to remain faithful to it even if we are persecuted for our faith.   Acts 8:1-8 1 There broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. 3 Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. 4 Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Thus Philip went down to [the] city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. 8 There was great joy in that city.   P S A L M   Psalms 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7 R: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, 2 sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. 3 Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds! (R) 4 Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” 5 Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. (R) 6 He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore let us rejoice in him. 7 He rules by his might forever. (R)   G O S P E L   Jesus wants us to rely upon Him for our spiritual sustenance. In this way He can feed us what we need, not necessarily what we want. His goal is to draw us into relationship with the Father so that we will gain eternal life when He comes again. Whether we believe this or not will depend on our faith. This is why it is crucial that we make a decision about our faith and choose to be consistent in seeking to follow it up with daily prayer and Scripture Reading.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day, says the Lord. R: Alleluia, alleluia 2 Chronicles 35-36 John 6:35-40 35 Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. 36 But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, 38 because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”   my reflections t h i n k : It is crucial that we make a decision about our faith and choose to be consistent in seeking to follow it up with daily prayer and Scripture reading.   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 35-36     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   THE WILL OF THE ONE WHO SENT ME   Many years ago, as a young priest working in the seminary, part of my daily duties was to work with the boys in the farm. That meant planting, weeding, watering and harvesting, depending on the time of year. We had a good, old reliable tractor and a not so reliable carabao, who preferred to wallow more in the mud than obey the orders of his caretaker. He had a favorite shady spot on campus and, to temper his self-willed and recalcitrant ways, he had to be tethered by the nose. But he would have none of it. He thrashed about and protested and pulled with his might away from the leash that limited his forays in the 15-hectare campus. This, the carabao did, until the inevitable happened. His nose got frayed with all his pulling and protesting. He freed himself eventually, at the cost of a deformed and bloody nose. For us seminary formators, he instantly became the icon and perfect example of disobedience to the superiors’ will. Today, we have the perfect icon and example of its opposite — obedience to the will of the Father. St. Paul puts it nicely thus: “usque ad mortem.” He was obedient all the way up to death. Yesterday, we reflected on the gift and mystery of the Eucharist. Christ is the “bread come down from heaven.” I have it on Paul’s authority that “he shed off everything that is divine and took on the nature of a slave.” This is what coming down from heaven boils down to: humility and utter obedience to God’s will. It is hard to obey. Take it from that hapless carabao who did not want to be tethered. But we don’t need the lesson of a non-rational animal to teach us this. We know from experience that it is difficult to be doing the will of someone other than ourselves. It is always better to do what suits us, what pleases us, what seems rewarding for us. But the lesson of the “bread come down from heaven” is unmistakably clear. He came not to do His own will but “the will of the One who sent Him.”Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB   Reflection Question: Do I find it easy or difficult to obey someone’s will other than my own, especially when it does not suit or please me?   Give me a heart that is obedient to Your will, Lord.   St. Walbert, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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Lordie, God's Message For You Today, May 10, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for May 10, 2011 Dear Lordie, Get empowered by His message to you 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.   10 May Tuesday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   LOOK AT ME   So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do?” – John 6:30   I’d like to look at this message and apply it to me. What sign can I do that others may believe in Him? I’ve realized that I shouldn’t be comfortable with just praying for others because the Lord might be calling me to make His miracle happen. That’s why my prayer is now more often, “Lord, use me for Your greater glory.” There’s a song that says “You’re the only Jesus some will ever see.” You and I might be the sign that the others are seeking so that they would believe in Jesus. If I live my life according to God’s Word and follow His commands, then hopefully they will see and truly understand the clearest sign of all — Jesus on the cross who died for you and me. Danny Maglutac (dannym@catholic.org)   REFLECTION: When was the last time someone was God’s sign for you?   Lord, use me for Your greater glory today.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   Blessed Damian of Molokai reminds us of the social dimension of the Gospel. Sometimes it is not enough to just offer the Gospel to people in words and concepts — we need to offer it to them through various forms of practical aid and assistance. Damian gave his life to caring for lepers to the point that he eventually came to be numbered as one of them. We must allow his example to inspire us today so that we are led to reach out to all in need with what we have and do what we can to improve their lives here on earth as well as offer them the Good News.   Acts 7:51-8:1 51 Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. 53 You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” 54 When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. 58 They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. 8: 1 Now Saul was consenting to his execution.   P S A L M Psalms 31:3-4, 6, 7, 8, 17, 21 R: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. 2 [3] Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety. 3 [4] You are my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me. (R) 5 [6] Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. 6 [7] My trust is in the LORD. 7 [8] I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy. (R) 16 [17] Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness. 20 [21] You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plottings of men. (R)   G O S P E L   Jesus promises us that if we place our trust in Him, we will never go hungry again. He is speaking of our need for spiritual food, not physical food here. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is a metaphor for our need for spiritual food. Only Jesus can supply this need. We can look for answers in other places and we may find some that seem to satisfy us for a while, but eventually they will fail. Only God can fill that hunger in our heart that He placed there when He created us. 2 Chronicles 33-34 Alleluia R: Alleluia, alleluia I am the bread of life, says the Lord; whoever comes to me will never hunger. R: Alleluia, alleluia   John 6:30-35 30 The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”   my reflections t h i n k : We must allow Jesus’ example to inspire us today so that we are led to reach out to all in need with what we have.   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 33-34         Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   COME DOWN AND GIVE LIFE TO THE WORLD   Before the perpetual adoration chapel became in vogue, there used to be frequent “benedictions” of the Blessed Sacrament in parishes. Two things I love to reminisce about the devotion are: one, the idea that one looks up to the monstrance up on the altar, appropriately decorated, and second, the fragrant smoke of incense wafting up through the dimly lit altar and filling the whole church with its fragrance. We see less and less of this in our churches these days. But there is no denying the fact that the monstrance and the incense both remind us that the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Christ under the appearance of bread, is both a gift and a mystery. It is a gift come down from above, no less, a gift of God become flesh, become bread, become sign and presence in our midst. It is a gift that lies hidden and revealed at one and the same time. It hides the majesty and utter glory of God, while at the same time, it reveals the unspeakable closeness and intimacy of God who willed to become one like us in Christ His Son, whose body “came down from heaven” and whose same body was “broken and shared” for the life of the world. We, Catholics, live in a world of signs and symbols that effect and make real what they stand for. We call them “sacraments.” These sacraments are meant to lead us to appropriate fittingly the gift of salvation in Christ. But these sacraments also lead us to appropriate and own the mystery behind that gift — a mystery that still unfolds within our hearing, in our lifetime, here and now. How do we know then if the mystery is becoming part of us? How do we ascertain if we are becoming part of that mystery? I would like to essay an answer. The mystery becomes real and palpable for us when it leads us to prayer, to a personal relationship that shows us that that gift and mystery we call Eucharist has become portion and reality in our daily lives of prayer. Come down, Lord, and give life to the world!  Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB   Reflection Question: How well am I becoming part of the mystery of the Eucharist?   May I become as life-giving as You are in the Eucharist, Lord.   St. John of Avila, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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Lordie, God's Message For You Today, May 9, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for May 9, 2011 Dear Lordie, Be God?s blessing to the world 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.   9 May Monday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   JEHOVAH JIREH   “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” – John 6:27   There was a time in 2009 when I reached the lowest in my finances. It felt so bad that I wanted to shut myself at home just so I wouldn’t spend anymore. It wasn’t that I was totally broke; I was just below my personal minimum in my account and I feared that I wouldn’t have enough until the next payday. After having a panic attack, I forced myself to be still and to pray. God has always provided for me but I was having a hard time believing it then. It wasn’t until after I went through my finances again that I saw that I was panicking because I found security in the money I have in my account and not in God. I was in the exact situation a few years ago but I did not feel the same kind of panic, and I realized that it was because I trusted that God would provide for me. It took a while for me to let go of the security I had in my money in the bank, but when I finally did, God not only met my needs, but exceeded them: He blessed me with a salary increase!Tina Matanguihan (tina.matanguihan@gmail.com) 9 REFLECTION: “God will not only meet your needs, He will exceed them.” (Mark Hart)   Jesus, You are more than enough for me.         Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   Stephen is chosen as one of the deacons and thus has a role of service in the nascent Christian community. I find it interesting to reflect upon the fact that the deacons were chosen by the Apostles to relieve them of some of their duties so that they, the bishops, could be more devoted to preaching and prayers, and then they, the deacons are immediately reported to be preaching. Stephen gets himself into trouble with the Jews by being such an effective preacher. It seems that all Christians realized the imperative to be busy proclaiming the Gospel.   Acts 6:8-15 8 Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, 10 but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, accosted him, seized him, and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They presented false witnesses who testified, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law. 14 For we have heard him claim that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.   P S A L M   Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30 R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! 23 Though princes meet and talk against me, your servant meditates on your statutes. 24 Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors. (R) 26 I declared my ways, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. 27 Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds. (R) 29 Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with your law. 30 The way of truth I have chosen; I have set your ordinances before me. (R)   G O S P E L   The greatest work we will perform in our lives is that of believing in God and placing our faith in Him. This includes embracing His will for our lives and being obedient to it. What a grace this is for us. How wonderful it is that God gives each of us opportunity to respond to His love in this way.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia One does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. R: Alleluia, alleluia   John 6:22-29 22 [After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.] The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. 23 Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 28 So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”   my reflections think: Deacons were chosen by the Apostles to relieve them of some of their duties so that they, the bishops, could be more devoted to preaching and prayers.     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 31-32     2 Chronicles 31-32   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   BELIEVING IN THE ONE HE SENT   As a student abroad many years ago, I had the privilege of meeting up close two Philippine ambassadors who served the post one after the other in that particular country. I couldn’t help but compare the two. One was affable and gentle; the other aloof and very formal. But despite the differences, both of them, to my mind, did full justice to the task entrusted to them – to represent the Filipino people before a foreign government. Somehow, one could not escape the fact that, for many people, the ambassador of a particular nation constituted “the face” of the people he represents. One simply had to believe in whoever has been sent to represent his people and government back home. As ambassador, one is literally and figuratively a citizen of two worlds. He needs to please both parties, while at the same time stand solidly behind the official policies of his bosses back in his home country. But despite the delicate balancing act that is the hallmark of diplomacy, an ambassador makes no secret about the ultimate object of his allegiance — his own country and people. Today, the first reading extols one such ambassador for Christ – Stephen, the first martyr. He was a practicing Jew and a productive citizen of his time and place. But when push came to shove, Stephen made known whom he truly gave his allegiance to and proved it with his readiness to stick his neck out, so to speak, all because he believed in the One God sent. This is the case of one ambassador who stands up, raises his voice and proclaims his faith in the “One God sent” — who is Himself, an ambassador for the Father. In these times of social networking and cyber friendships that take place in relative digital anonymity and emotional detachment, it is easy to put up false fronts and reduce one’s identity to an emotionless avatar. But to accomplish God’s works, one needs to go out and proclaim one’s personal belief and relationship in the One God sent. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB   Reflection Question: Do I recognize myself as an ambassador sent by God to be His representative to the  downtrodden?   Lord, to be Your ambassador isn’t easy. Grant me the grace to fulfill the role You have given me in this life.   St. Sanctan, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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