 | Daily Bible Reflections
for December 23, 2011 |
|  Dear Lordie,
May others see Jesus in you this Friday.
Praying for you,
Bo Sanchez
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| | GIVING JESUS Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown His great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. – Luke 1:58 Just before I wrote this reflection, I called my family back in Manila. They were busy buying gifts to give this Christmas. Maybe by the time you read this, you may have completed your shopping. Maybe you are now busy wrapping or even ready to give away the gifts. Giving and receiving gifts makes Christmas fun but we sometimes forget the real reason for the celebration. As I read the Gospel today, the Spirit spoke to my heart . “Why don’t you give Jesus this Christmas? Share Him, speak of Him.” As you give that beautifully wrapped gift, share your experiences too with the Lord. Tell them how the Lord healed you or how He protected you. Tell them how the Lord provided for your needs. Tell them how the Lord transformed you. I know that as they hear how the Lord has shown you His love, they will rejoice with you, in the same manner as the neighbors and relatives of Elizabeth did in today’s Gospel. Who knows? Their Christmas may become more meaningful this year because of your sharing. Danny Tariman (danny@dtariman.com) 23 REFLECTION: Have you shared Jesus to your neighbors and relatives? Lord, forgive me for being hesitant in sharing Your name and Your love. I pray that I may make a difference this Christmas by sharing You with others. | |
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| | COMPANION | 1st READING The coming of the Messiah is something that will challenge the status quo and bring about some dramatic changes. He will be like a refiner who purifies precious metals. We see this in Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple when He drove out all the money changers and the animals and made it again a place of quietness and prayer. We see the fierceness of Christ in His challenge to the Scribes and the Pharisees for their pretense and hypocrisy. Yes, His coming will be life-changing if we allow it to be. Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 1 Thus says the LORD GOD: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. 3 He will sit refining and purifying [silver], and he will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. 4 Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old, as in years gone by. 23 Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day, 24 to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with doom. P S A L M Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 R: Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand. 4 Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. (R) 8 Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R) 10 All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees. 14 The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. (R) G O S P E L From the time he saw a vision of an angel in the Temple to the time of the birth of his son, Zechariah had been dumb, unable to speak because he had not believed the angel’s message. Now, all of a sudden his lips are opened and he can speak. One can imagine its impact on the local people. This was a dramatic sign from God that this child had a special mission. Unbelief also makes us unable to speak and proclaim the Good News, so let us be men and women of faith who boldly proclaim the message of God’s mercy and love. ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust! R: Alleluia, alleluia Luke 1:57-66 57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” 61 But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. 65 Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. 2 Peter 1-3 my reflections t h i n k : Unbelief makes us unable to speak and proclaim the Good News, so let us be men and women of faith who boldly proclaim the message of God’s mercy and 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 Peter 1-3 | |
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| | SABBATH | Have a CHRIST mas Holy Day Two days before the whole Christendom celebrates the birth of Christ, our Gospel narrates to us the birth of John the Baptist. The story of His birth is not superfluous to the story of the birth of Jesus. The role of John the Baptist is clear: to prepare the way of the Lord, to point out the coming Messiah. Just in case you don’t notice, there is in the world right now a subtle yet manifest attempt to conceal the person of Jesus; perhaps not only during Christmas but for all times. Watch CNN and you will hear the anchors greet you, “Happy Holidays” and not “ Merry Christmas.” They do this out of political correctness. The presence of Christ in the word Christmas might offend the sensibilities of non- Christians watching their program. At the same time last year, the State of Denver prevented their students in a choral contest from singing “ White Christmas” and asked them to sing “White Holiday” instead. And when the students were sent off for vacation, they were told to enjoy not the Christmas holidays but the “winter” holidays. Make no mistake about it, the subtle eradication of Christ from Christmas has become a blatant political hostility against anything and everything Christian. Of John the Baptist, the people asked in today’s Gospel, “What will this child be?” He is to be the courageous forerunner, the bold proclaimer of Jesus and His Gospel, to the point of losing his head in martyrdom. Today let us ask for a little of John the Baptist’s courage. Make a conscious effort to show the world that you are a Christian. Do not abbreviate “Christmas” to “Xmas” even if it means a little more ink and effort in your typing and texting. Better yet, write Christ in bold letters in your Christmas greetings so that your wishes may become not only greetings but an act of faith and proclamation as well. Fr. Joel O. Jason Reflection Question: Are you looking at these days of Christmas simply as holidays or as holy days? Pray repeatedly this ancient Christmas hymn: Gaudete! Gaudete! Christus est natus ex Maria Virgine Gaudete! (Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born of Mary the Virgin, Rejoice!) St. Dagobert II, pray for us. | |
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