 | Daily Bible Reflections
for January 9, 2011 |
|  Dear Lordie,
Thank God for your loved ones this Sunday.
Praying for you,
Bo Sanchez
| | Feast of the Baptism of the Lord A NE W SENSE OF HUMOR “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” – Isaiah 42:3 Days after Typhoon Ondoy flooded our home, I was physically and emotionally worn out from all that happened. I was also nervous about the coming Typhoon Pepeng, which would hit the country in a few days. I was looking forward to a somewhat restful night despite all the stress, but the first thing that greeted me when I got to the condo where we were temporarily staying was water. Flood. Again. It turned out that the freezer was left to defrost while we were gone and the water had overflowed. Not a big thing, right? But I found myself bawling on my knees that night as I mopped the floor. All I could think of then was, “Lord, I can’t take it anymore. Please don’t strike me while I’m down.” Whenever I look back to that day now, I laugh because I must have looked really silly. The despair I felt then was real and I thought I wouldn’t be able to recover. But I did. True to what Isaiah said, God will not crush a bruised reed, and He gives enough strength to move forward from all calamities in life. Tina Matanguihan (tina.matanguihan@gmail.com) REFLECTION: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Remind me, Lord, of Your love whenever I feel despair. | |
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| | COMPANION | 1st READING Isaiah tells us that the Suffering Servant, for us the Messiah, Jesus, will bring true justice. Justice is a word that is often used today very cheaply. If we want to know what true justice is, we need to look carefully at the life of Jesus and see how He lives a life of reconciliation. He gave His life in place of ours so that we can be given another chance. Justice without mercy is cheap justice. It is only when justice is ministered with love that we will create a better world. Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 1 Thus says the LORD: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, 2 not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, 4 until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. 6 I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. P S A L M Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 R: The Lord will bless his people with peace. 1 Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, 2 give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire. (R) 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is majestic. (R) The God of glory thunders, 9 and in his temple all say, “Glory!” 10 The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever. (R) 2nd READING Even the Gentiles are entitled to the gift of salvation through Baptism. It is important to Luke that Peter lead the way in this for Paul as it will legitimize Paul’s mission to the Gentiles. Cornelius and his household receive the Holy Spirit with power. Let us pray that the grace of baptism we received will also be released with power. Acts 10:34-38 34 Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. 35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. 36 You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, 37 what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” G O S P E L Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan becomes a prototype for baptism not just in the Scriptures but in the experience of the Early Church. When men and women were baptized, they were changed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This was the normative experience for the Early Church. Why does it not seem to be the same for us today? Let us reflect on this question and ask God to reveal to us more fully the grace and power of the Sacrament of Baptism. ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA R: Alleluia The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, listen to him. R: Alleluia Matthew 3:13-17 13 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” 15 Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. 16 After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. 17 And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” my reflections t h i n k : Let us pray that the grace of baptism we received will also be released with power. God’s special verse/thought for me today________________ _________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________ _______________________________________________________ READ THE BIBLE IN Genesis 25-27 SABBATH PAUSE My weekly time with God THANK YOU LIST Things to be grateful for from the past week ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ SPECIAL NEEDS Things to ask God for in the coming week ________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ HIDDEN TREASURE Most important word God told me this week ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ | |
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| | SABBATH | DECLARING OUR IDENTITY A new acquaintance fetched me one morning for midday Mass at the office where he works. Inside the car was a picture of a family clipped on his front mirror. “Is that your family?” I inquired. “Yes, Father,” he responded. Then he added, “That picture has a history.” Before I even managed to ask what, he went on to narrate, “One night after a long day, I went to a bar to unwind. A beautiful woman caught my attention. I looked at her. She looked at me. And that was it. She handed me a card with her number. I reached for my wallet to get my card and I saw my family picture. Right then and there I realized what I was doing and I left. From then on, this picture is always before me on this front mirror.” How cheesy, I said to myself. Kidding aside, will it make it less difficult to commit wrongdoing when we always have before us our identity, who we are and whose we are? With that picture, that man reminds himself daily, “I am a husband, I am a father, I am my family’s.” Today is the feast of the Lord’s baptism. At the beginning of His mission, Jesus’ identity is established, “This is my beloved Son. My favor rests on him” (Matthew 3:17). His Sonship was always before Jesus. It is the mission that consumes Him. Jesus would declare, “My food is to do the will of my Father” (John 4:34). At our baptism, we were similarly vested with that undeserved identity as children of God. At the pouring of the water in the name of the Trinitarian God, He claimed us as His own. As a priest, I do not always go around dressed in my Mass vestments. But I always wear a ring with a miniature crucifix on it. I wear a little cross either on my collar or on my chest pocket. I make sure that I have something that will always set before me my identity as a priest of God. I have always followed a simple rule of life. Whenever I feel the need to “conceal” in whatever way or form who I am, that’s an indication that I am treading dangerous paths. Fr. Joel O. Jason Reflection Question: Have you ever felt the need to conceal who you are, or whose you are? What do you do to always remind your heart of your commitments to God and to your loved ones? Father, in gratitude I recognize Your Fatherhood over me and in commitment I renew my childhood before You. Amen. St. Marciana, pray for us. | |
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