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

Daily Bible Reflections for January 4, 2011 Dear Lordie, This Tuesday, never forget how important you are to God. Praying for you, Bo Sanchez 4 January Tuesday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   A SHEPHERD ’S HEART   As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd… – Mark 6:34   Have you met an emotional vampire? Have you been told to avoid them, lest you become zapped of your energy and much worse, become like them? Weren’t you advised to give verbiage to those creatures, similar to a call center agent who handles an irate caller, just to send them on their way? True. Emotional vampires suck up energy from you and we need to guard ourselves from them. After all, this co-dependency can spell the death of a relationship. So how are we to regard them in our hearts? Jesus tells us how: with compassion. Too often we get so engrossed in our performance spirituality, in worship, in preaching, in leading, that we forget why we do it in the first place. We should minister not only to those who exhibit the promise of being energetic, talented, sugar-overdosed Christians, but more especially to the lost sheep as well. To those who are searching for healing, for courage, for forgiveness, for love. For God. Reden Cerrer (redcer@yahoo.com)   REFLECTION: We are not only seen through our actions but we are felt through our intentions.   Father, let me be Your heart today.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   It is simple to realize that we are all called to love God and our neighbor; it is a far more difficult thing to actually fulfill such a call. Yet, this is at the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Let us not only pray for the grace to recognize our neighbor but also the grace to love him or her no matter what our experience of them might be. Love is a decision we can all make no matter what our situation in life may be. Love can overcome all things. Sometimes we cannot love through our own strength; it is at these times that we really need to surrender all to the Holy Spirit and invite Him to help us to love.   1 John 4:7-10 7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.   P S A L M   Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8 R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) 3 The mountains shall yield peace for the people, and the hills justice. 4 He shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor. (R) 7 Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. (R)   G O S P E L   If you want to be a pastor or leader in the Church get ready to be tired most of the time. The heart of a true pastor will always struggle to know when to rest and say that I have done all I can for now. The true pastor will see the needs of his flock and desire to meet them. The truth is, it is not possible for one person to meet all the needs of a large flock, and probably not even a small one. This is why we all must pitch in and help where we can in the care of our parishes and communities. Let us not make problems for our leaders but at least be a part of the solution to their problems.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives. R: Alleluia, alleluia   Mark 6:34-44 34 When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. 36 Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 He said to them in reply, “Give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?” 38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” 39 So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. 41 Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to [his] disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. 44 Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.   my reflections think: Let us not make problems for our leaders but at least be part of the solution to their problems.   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 10-12   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   His Heart Today   At the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord at Megamall, one can see at the hallway leading to the chapel a unique crucifix with Christ bearing no hands and no feet. It is a crucifix which has become a popular religious fixture in many religious edifices. There is an interesting story behind that image. During World War II, when many churches were leveled by the constant bombings, a parish priest with some of his parishioners sifted through the rubbles of the church. A parishioner found the crucifix but the hands and the feet have been burned away. They wanted to throw it away but the priest decided to use the same crucifix as it was found. The next Sunday at Mass, people were surprised to see the same crucifix with the dismembered Christ. It had an inscription below that read, “You are my hands and feet.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus manifested the compassionate heart of a shepherd. Mark simply puts it, “Jesus saw the vast crowd. He pitied them for they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus taught the people at great length. But He felt they needed to be fed as well. The apostles wanted to dismiss the crowd. Jesus said instead, “You give them something to eat.” Notice here that Jesus did not say, “I will give them something to eat” even though it was He who will do the miraculous feeding. He said, “You give them something to eat.” He invited the apostles to be His partners, His collaborators. He invited them to be His hands and His feet. Sometimes we can be like the apostles, overwhelmed and discouraged by the task at hand, overcome by disappointments. We ask questions like, “With all the evil and suffering all around, how can you find goodness?” Friend, as men and women who bear the name of Christ, we don’t actually wait to find goodness. We find goodness by creating goodness. If goodness is hard to find, then be the source of goodness, and that can be the start. Be the hands and feet of Christ today! Fr. Joel O. Jason     Reflection Question: When did you extend Christ’s hands and feet to another? Have you shied away from the challenge to “give them something to eat yourselves”?   Reflect on the lines of this song: “And when I’ve done all that I could, yet there are hearts I cannot move, Lord, grant me hope that I may be Your heart today.”   St. Hermes, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

Do You Want Your Friend To Receive This Email? Friend's Email:   1.  The FEAST is the one of the happiest places on earth. 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. Feast Builder: Bo Sanchez   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) Feast Builders: George Gabriel and Obet Cabrillas    Quezon City Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Convention Hall, Bureau of Soils, Visayas Ave., Q.C. Feast Builder: Eng Si   Alabang  Sunday (3 sessions) 11:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m.  1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.  4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.      2/L X-site Entrance, Festival Mall, Alabang  Tel. No. 659-8299                       Feast Builder: Arun Gogna Laguna 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna Feast Builders: Hermie Morelos & Jon Escoto   Rizal Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Valley Fair Arcade, Ortigas Ext. Taytay, Rizal Feast Builder: Pio Espanol          Bustos Sunday 2:30 p.m - 5:30 p.m. San isidro labrador Parish, Liciada, Bustos Feast Builder:  Chito Manaois   Valenzuela Sunday 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Valenzuela Feast Builder: Eng Si Contact no. 09175789554   Ortigas Monday 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Roofdeck, Prestige Tower, F. Ortigas Ave., Pasig City            Feast Builder: Vic Espanol   Makati Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor Paseo de Roxas Feast Builder: Randy Borromeo   Manila Friday, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Cinema 4, SM Manila (near City Hall), Manila         Feast Builder: Obet Cabrillas   Angeles 1st & 3rd Friday, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Angeles City Library, Angeles City                              Feast Builder: Marvin Tan   Marilao (2 sessions) Saturday, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.                 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Cinema 2, SM Marilao, Bulacan Feast Builder: Alvin Barcelona    Baliuag Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 1, Baliuag, Bulacan Feast Builder: Chito Manaois Contact no. 09174358746/09228190198   Cardona Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Queen Mary Help of Christians Hospital, National Road, Calahan, Cardona   CEBU 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. University of San Carlos North Campus, Mango Ave., Cebu City Feast Builder: Oscar Alino Contact nos. 4128142/09212413801/09232908009   DAVAO  Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Labrecque Hall, San Pedro College, C. de Guzman St.,Davao City Feast Builder: Jing Sto. Domingo Contact nos. 0822865081/0922251822  2. Wake up to the new KERYGMA TV! on TV5! On a new time slot - Sundays 6-7 a.m. PLUS... MUSTARD (for kids) Saturdays 6-7 a.m FISHBOWL (for the youth) Saturdays 7-8 a.m. 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

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

Daily Bible Reflections for January 3, 2011 Dear Lordie, Be God?s blessing to the world this Monday! Praying for you, Bo Sanchez 3 January Monday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   13 OR NO 13   We should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ… test the Spirit to see whether they belong to God. – 1 John 3:23, 4:1   I had just transferred to a new place and brought my relative to check it out. “Your room is good,” she commented after she’d seen the place. “The sun goes in there. But I don’t like the  address.” “Why?” I asked. “‘Coz it’s number 13.” Oh yeah, I forgot. A lot of people wouldn’t get caught living in a house with that number. They even skip counting 13 just to escape the bad luck. I wonder if bad luck also knows when to break mathematical progression? And how would people account for what my landlord said that everyone who has lived in my place prospered? We complicate our lives by believing in superstitions. If we strive to know more our faith through prayer, reading of Scripture and Church documents, we will learn the truth that there’s nothing to fear for as long as we are with the Lord. I simplify my life by asking fundamental questions. “Do I really believe in Jesus? Does He love me? Is He really powerful?”           Then, I rest peacefully — 13 or no 13. Joy Sosoban (jsosoban@gmail.com)   REFLECTION: “I do believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)   Lord, the world wants to water down Your greatness. Help me not to follow suit.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   When we choose to follow Jesus as His disciple, we overcome the false prophets and influences in our lives, in other words, the process of conversion has taken root in our lives. It is precisely that – a process – and thus we need to affirm it daily. In fact, we may need to affirm it many times daily as we are tempted to give up the call or even just to sin. It is critical that we persevere in the work we have begun in order to grow in holiness and our service to the Kingdom of God.   1 John 3:22-4:6 22 Beloved: We receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. 24 Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he  remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us. 4: 1 Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, 3 and every spirit that does not  acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. 4 You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.   P S A L M   Psalm 2:7-8, 10-11 R: I will give you all the nations for an inheritance. 7 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.” (R) 10 And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice. (R)   G O S P E L The arrest of John was seen as a sign by Jesus that it was now time to begin His ministry in earnest. We need to realize that God has a plan for each of us to fulfill. If we fail to fulfill it, I wonder what work of the Kingdom of God is going to remain undone and what the consequences of our unfaithfulness will be. This is not to scare anyone, but the truth needs to be spoken and the truth is that each of us has a responsibility to fulfill God’s will for our lives. I hope and pray we all know what His will is.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people. R: Alleluia, alleluia   Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and went to live in  Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” 17 From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 23 He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. 24 His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. 25 And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him.   my reflections t h i n k : Each of us has a responsibility to fulfill God’s will for our lives.   4 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 7-9   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   Wiping AWAY Sin   At the beginning of each year, the Oxford English Dictionary gives out a list of words or phrases that have become catchwords the previous year. These are then included in the list of official words or phrases in the dictionary. These words or phrases usually reflect the prevailing cultural, social and economic climate of the time. In 2009, for example, when the world was hit with the recession, lexicographers noted that credit crunch became a byword. Staycation means a self-imposed stay-at-home vacation because of lack of money. But while the world is busy noting what new words appear in the world vocabulary, no one seems to keep track of the words that are disappearing in our collective language. One word that we rarely use or believe in nowadays is sin. No one talks about sin anymore. Notice the verbal engineering done in the name of political correctness. When Tiger Woods admitted to adultery, his sponsor Nike called it a “temporary blib” in an otherwise sterling career. Gay relationships are called alternative lifestyle. Abortion is rendered pregnancy reduction. Be it in the area of theology, sociology or psychology, sin seems to be attributed to everything else but the individual person. When one commits wrongdoing, we justify it by saying “it’s nature’s fault,” “it’s in the genes,” “he’s suffering from a form of complex.” It’s always everything but free will. This is the product of the spirit of justification — a wrong kind of justification. I call this a justification from below, i.e., justifying wrong by attributing malice away from the person. John in the first reading cautions us from this spirit of deception as he says, “Beloved, do not trust every spirit, but put the spirits to a test to see if they belong to God.” Justification from below does not come from God. What comes from God is justification from above, “Repent, believe for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” We eliminate sin by repentance, contrition and confession — not by striking out the word from the dictionary and from our consciousness. Fr. Joel O. Jason   Reflection Question: In what way does the spirit of justification from below manifest in my own behavior?   Lord, grant me the wisdom to see my fault, the courage to name it and the humility to be justified by repentance, contrition and confession. Amen.   St. Narses, pray for us. Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

Do You Want Your Friend To Receive This Email? Friend's Email:   1.  The FEAST is the one of the happiest places on earth. 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. Feast Builder: Bo Sanchez   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) Feast Builders: George Gabriel and Obet Cabrillas    Quezon City Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Convention Hall, Bureau of Soils, Visayas Ave., Q.C. Feast Builder: Eng Si   Alabang  Sunday (3 sessions) 11:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m.  1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.  4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.      2/L X-site Entrance, Festival Mall, Alabang  Tel. No. 659-8299                       Feast Builder: Arun Gogna Laguna 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna Feast Builders: Hermie Morelos & Jon Escoto   Rizal Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Valley Fair Arcade, Ortigas Ext. Taytay, Rizal Feast Builder: Pio Espanol          Bustos Sunday 2:30 p.m - 5:30 p.m. San isidro labrador Parish, Liciada, Bustos Feast Builder:  Chito Manaois   Valenzuela Sunday 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Valenzuela Feast Builder: Eng Si Contact no. 09175789554   Ortigas Monday 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Roofdeck, Prestige Tower, F. Ortigas Ave., Pasig City            Feast Builder: Vic Espanol   Makati Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor Paseo de Roxas Feast Builder: Randy Borromeo   Manila Friday, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Cinema 4, SM Manila (near City Hall), Manila         Feast Builder: Obet Cabrillas   Angeles 1st & 3rd Friday, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Angeles City Library, Angeles City                              Feast Builder: Marvin Tan   Marilao (2 sessions) Saturday, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.                 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Cinema 2, SM Marilao, Bulacan Feast Builder: Alvin Barcelona    Baliuag Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 1, Baliuag, Bulacan Feast Builder: Chito Manaois Contact no. 09174358746/09228190198   Cardona Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Queen Mary Help of Christians Hospital, National Road, Calahan, Cardona   CEBU 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. University of San Carlos North Campus, Mango Ave., Cebu City Feast Builder: Oscar Alino Contact nos. 4128142/09212413801/09232908009   DAVAO  Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Labrecque Hall, San Pedro College, C. de Guzman St.,Davao City Feast Builder: Jing Sto. Domingo Contact nos. 0822865081/0922251822  2. Wake up to the new KERYGMA TV! on TV5! On a new time slot - Sundays 6-7 a.m. PLUS... MUSTARD (for kids) Saturdays 6-7 a.m FISHBOWL (for the youth) Saturdays 7-8 a.m. 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

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

Daily Bible Reflections for January 2, 2011 Dear Lordie, Each Sunday is a Mini-Easter. Show that Jesus is alive today! Praying for you, Bo Sanchez 2 January Sunday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord 2 My Kind of King   “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.” – Isaiah 60:4   There was a person whom I considered to have everything. At one point in my life, I wanted to be like him. Can you imagine having access to the best education and the most influential people of your time? How about being next in line to an inheritance that will set you for life? And how about being able to build the best real estate developments such as a world-class stadium, a royal palace and the most sought center for prayer and learning? Who wouldn’t want such a life that King Herod lived? Yes, the same Herod who tried to trick the Magi into telling him where the next King of the Jews would be born in order to kill Him. Frankly, I still want the same things in life — to live in greatness. But this time around, I want to be a different kind of king. To achieve greatness not for the sake of selfish pride but for the sake of making this world a better place. To live and leave a legacy of love just as the baby born in the manger did. Orange Garcia (orange_garcia@hotmail.com)   REFLECTION: Greatness is not found in achievements but in moments we truly love. What kind of legacy do you want to live and leave?   Lord, I pray that I may be greatly blessed so that I may be a great blessing to others.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   The prophecies of Isaiah often speak of light and how it is the Word of God — the light we have been given to share with the world. The world today is a very troubled place with much conflict and darkness. Let us pray for the grace to be bearers of the light of Christ to the world.   Isaiah 60:1-6 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. 3 Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. 4 Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you. Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. 5 Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. 6 Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.   P S A L M   Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) 7 Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. (R) 10 The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. 11 All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. (R) 12 For he shall rescue the poor man when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. (R)   2nd READING   The Letter to the Ephesians is full of images of mystery. However, there is one thing that is never, or at least, should never be, a mystery to any Christian, namely the love of God. At times it can be difficult to experience His love in the midst of trials and difficulties but ultimately His love is most manifest at such times. All we have to do is call upon the faith to find it and welcome it into our lives.   Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6 2 Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. 5 It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.   G O S P E L   The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the world. We celebrate that Jesus is the revelation of the Father and that in His life we can see the Father. This is an awesome gift that we need to respectfully accept and use to the advantage of our faith. Thank you, Father, for making Your love known to me through the life of Jesus.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. R: Alleluia, alleluia 13   Matthew 2:1-12 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” 9 After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11 and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.   my reflections think: Let us pray for the grace to be bearers of the light of Christ to the world.   4 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 4-6     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 ________________________________________________________________   ________________________________________________________________                         ________________________________________________________________ -6 Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   SEARCH FOR THE REAL   Today is the solemn feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany literally means the unveiling, the revelation, the manifestation. Today, the baby Jesus is unveiled, revealed and manifested by Mary to the Magi from the East. They were non-Jews but Mary found no reason to hide the Child from them. On the feast of the Epiphany, the Child Jesus is manifested as Savior of all of humanity. Let’s talk about the Magi. Scripture scholars say they were actually astrologers. Tradition fondly calls them the Three Kings. The Bible is not specific as to their number but this evolved mainly from the three gifts they brought with them: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Whether they were really kings or not, we do not know. The Scriptures are likewise silent about this. But come to think of it, it doesn’t really matter. The feast of the Epiphany is not about the Three Kings. It is actually about two kings — Jesus, the real King, and Herod, the counterfeit king. Today we are asked for an epiphany of loyalty and commitment to the real King. The Magi, as we read in the Scriptures, were initially commissioned by King Herod. Herod wanted them to tell him where the child was on the false pretext that he might pay him homage. Threatened by the real King, he wanted to kill the threat to his kingship. But the encounter with the Child Jesus changed the astrologers. Matthew said it beautifully, “They went back to their own country by another route.” Matthew here is not talking about a geographical change but a biographical one. The Magi were never the same again. They had found the real King to whom their loyalty was due. They came at Herod’s bidding. They left at the Child’s command. Like Herod, there are many pretentious kings ordering us around and demanding our loyalty. May the simplicity of the Child, the real King, help us to go beyond the glitter and trappings of the many pretentious kings around. That would be a real experience of epiphany on our part. Fr. Joel O. Jason   Reflection Question: The tree always falls in the direction to where it bows. Take care not to bow in the direction of false kings. You might end up living eternity in their counterfeit kingdom.   “As the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God.” (Psalm 42:1)   St. Argeus, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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