 | Daily Bible Reflections
for September 18, 2011 |
|  Dear Lordie,
Thank God for your loved ones this Sunday.
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.
| | UNDESERVED BLESSINGS So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. – Matthew 20:10 “The office will be sending you to the U.S. for a two-week training,” the audit partner informed me. She also mentioned that I could extend my stay after the training and the office would shoulder the plane fare. I was ecstatic and told my fellow auditors about it. However, one of the superstars (i.e., an auditor who got promoted ahead of his batch mates because of outstanding performance) in our batch gave this remark behind my back: “Why her?” I wasn’t a superstar but I was chosen among more deserving auditors. In today’s Gospel, the landowner gave the same wage to all the workers regardless of the time spent. Because of this, those who worked the whole day grumbled against the landowner and accused him of being unfair. Like the landowner, our God is a generous God. He gives to everyone whether one has done something for His kingdom or not. God doesn’t bless us based on how long we have served Him, how many ministries we are involved in, or if we have accepted Him only during the last days of our earthly life. No one deserves God’s blessings, but because He is generous, He chooses to bless us. Judith Concepcion (svp_jmc@yahoo.com) 18 REFLECTION: Have you ever been jealous when God has blessed another person? Focus on what God has given you and be thankful for it. Whenever I feel superior and think I deserve to receive more than others, convict me, Lord. Grant me the grace to rejoice with the blessings of others. | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | COMPANION | 1st READING Every day we should seek God and His presence and grace. That means that we should try to keep an awareness of God with us throughout the day and not just when we are praying. It can be helpful to have a picture of Jesus or a crucifix near us so that we are reminded of God’s presence with us. Praying the Angelus and the rosary during the day can help us keep our minds and hearts attuned to God’s presence. Isaiah 55:6-9 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near. 7 Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the LORD for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. 9 As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. P S A L M Psalms 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 R: The Lord is near to all who call upon him. 2 Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. (R) 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 17 The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R) 2nd READING St. Paul, who had visions of heaven, knew how wonderful it would be to leave this world and be with God forever. Hence, he is caught between two good things — to depart and to be with God or to remain on earth and continue his ministry to the Christian communities. Either way, Paul wanted his life to be an offering to the Lord and to bear fruit for God’s Kingdom. The value of a life is not in its length but in the love of God that it reveals. Philippians 1:20-24, 27 20 Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.21 For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. 22 If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. 23 I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. 27 Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ. G O S P E L The parable of the landowner teaches us that God calls men and women to serve in His vineyard, His Kingdom. Whether we are called when we are young or old is not important; what is important is that we serve God and do His will. Each person who faithfully serves God, whether for many years or just a short time, will receive the reward of eternal life in heaven. Let us be faithful to the call God has placed on our lives so we each can receive our reward. ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. R: Alleluia, alleluia Matthew 20:1-16 1 Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ 5 So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. 6 Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ 8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ 9 When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. 10 So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ 13 He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 15 Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” my reflections t h i n k : The value of a life is not in its length but in the love of God that it reveals. 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 Jeremiah 47-49 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 ________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | SABBATH | WHAT MATTERS IS THE MOTIVATION This parable offers us a lot of lessons. First, it teaches us to be charitable. Slaves and servants are better off because they can eat with or after their masters. But day laborers only get to eat when they earn from a day’s work. Their presence in the marketplace, still searching for work at the final hour of day, reflects desperation. So even if it would mean that the household owner would be in the losing end, he still hired them. What matters for the household owner was that the jobless have something to get by for the day. Second, it teaches us to be humble. The household owner represents God and the workers are the beneficiaries of God’s benevolence. In the end, it is not about what we think we deserve but what God thinks we deserve. If we are to understand how the workers who came early in the day reacted, we will see that their minds were operating on the premise that they have done much and therefore should be paid as much. But we have to accept the fact that, as creatures of God, we are just at the receiving end. We need to be humble in accepting what God would deem fit for us. Next, it teaches us to be more accepting of others, especially those who came much later than we do. This clearly speaks to the old-timers who act as if they own the church, who develop pride simply because they were the pioneers and as such have the right to everything. It also teaches us how to understand and value the work that we do for God. The first group worked because they knew that they would be given the compensation agreed upon. The workers who were invited last didn’t have to agree to anything. They just worked and left their fate to the household owner. This tells us that, in the end, it is not the work that we do for God that matters but what motivates us. Do we serve Him because we know we will be justly compensated in the end? Fr. Sandy V. Enhaynes Reflection Question: What is your motivation for working in the Lord’s vineyard? Is it pride? Is it popularity? Or is it simply being able to serve God, trusting that He knows best how to reward us? Lord, purify my motives in serving You. St. Ferreolus, pray for us. | |
Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
| | Find one near you!
PICC Sunday (2 sessions) 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. PICC, Roxas Blvd. Pasig Sunday (2 sessions) 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Valle Verde Country Club (beside The ULTRA) Quezon City Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Convention Hall, Bureau of Soils, Visayas Ave., Q.C. Saturday 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. GT-Toyota Asian Center, Magsaysay St. cor. Katipunan Ave. Alabang (4 sessions) Sunday 11:00 a.m - 12:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. 2/L X-site Entrance, Festival Mall, Alabang Tel. No. 659-8299
Laguna Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Cinema 1, SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna Cavite Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Cinema 5, Robinson's Mall, Imus, Cavite
Taytay Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Valley Fair Arcade, Ortigas Ext. Taytay, Rizal
Valenzuela Sunday 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Valenzuela, Valenzuela Contact no. 09175789554 Ortigas Monday 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Cinema 3, Robinsons Galleria, F. Ortigas Ave., Pasig City
Makati Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor Paseo de Roxas Manila (2 sessions) Friday, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m 7:00 p.m.. - 10:00 p.m. Cinema 4, SM Manila (near City Hall), Manila Marilao (3 sessions) Friday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Barcelona Academy, Marilao, Bulacan Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 2, SM Marilao, Bulacan Baliuag Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Baliuag, Bulacan Contact no. 09175332756/2920044 Cardona Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Queen Mary Help of Christians Hospital, National Road, Calahan, Cardona Bonifacio Global City Saturday 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Mercato Central, BGC CEBU
Tuesday 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. CAP Auditorium, Cebu City Contact nos. 4128142/09212413801/09232908009 DAVAO Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 4/L Alexian Brothers Health and Wellness Center, Matina, Davao City Contact nos. 0822865081/0922251822
3. Need Counseling? Call a friend for counseling at 09228407031, 7266728, 7264709, and 7259999 Mon-Fri 24-hrs, Sat 6am-5pm, Sun 6am-10am. 4. Free Kerygma Magazine (the one on paper) from Bo. If you're a KerygmaFamily member who regularly supports this ministry with at least P300 or US$20 a month - you'll be receiving a one-year subscription of the KerygmaMagazine in the mail-automatically! If you haven't signed up for KerygmaFamily, join now!
http://www.kerygmafamily.com 5. Its now easy to DONATE using the new GlobeTelecom GCASH at http://kerygmafamily.com.
6. DONATE using SMART MONEY - type KFAM_amount and send to 270 7. Put Preacher in Blue Jeans in your Blog or Friendster! Just copy the text in under next to the EMBED keyword under the video. Just like YOUTUBE! 8. Did you receive this email from someone else? To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com.
Lots of surprises await. 9. To change your KerygmaFamily member/email settings. Please click here 10. To enter the Audio & Video Teachings, Please click here 11. Forward these to your friends - so they too can read God's Word and be invited to join the KerygmaFamily. They'll Thank you for opening this mountain of blessings to them! 12. Contact Person: Tina (+632) 9312711 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (+632) 9312711 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or + 639178424101 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting + 639178424101 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or support@kerygmafamily.com
|
No response to “Lordie, God's Message For You Today, September 18, 2011”
Post a Comment