Daily Bible Reflections
for June 21, 2008;

Dear Friend,

Be filled with God's joy this Saturday.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez

21
 June
Saturday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

TRUSTING GOD AS HEALER
 
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow…” – Matthew 6:34
 
I felt an ache in my head. There’s something wrong with me again, I thought. I tried to ignore my anxiety and continue with my ministry. I was due to conduct a Bible sharing group or bukluran in one of the squatter’s area in our parish.
One of those who shared in our bukluran was a widow in her late 60s. Years ago, she suffered from a broken eardrum but because she couldn’t afford a checkup, she resorted to praying to the Lord for healing. Now it was bothering her again and usual, she just prayed and prayed. And just as before, the pain left her. She was crying in thanksgiving to the Lord as she ended her sharing. Amazing, I told myself! So, this old widow had been entrusting to the Lord a serious disease that she can’t afford to medicate!
I learned a lesson that day from this poor woman. A lesson on complete trust in the Lord. I shouldn’t be anxious about this ache in my head. I’m in good hands, just like her. (By the way, I referred her to my cousin – an ear-nose-throat doctor.) Cristy Galang
 
REFLECTION:
Am I  anxious about my future?
 
I want to believe that there’s no problem too big  for You to solve, Lord. Please help my unbelief.
 

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COMPANION

 

1st READING
 
History will happen around us no matter what we do to participate in it. There are many things in this world that we are powerless to stop on our own. The only hope for change is with a united witness of all Christians. Let us seek to grow in unity with our fellow Christians so that in our oneness we can show the world what it means to follow Christ and be His disciples.
 
2 Chronicles 24:17-25
17 After the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and the king then listened to them. 18 They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols; and because of this crime of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD, the people would not listen to their warnings. 20 Then the spirit of God possessed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He took his stand above the people and said to them: “God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’ ” 21 But they conspired against him, and at the king’s order they stoned him to death in the court of the LORD’s temple. 22 Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son. And as he was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge.” 23 At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, did away with all the princes of the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24 Though the Aramean force came with few men, the LORD surrendered a very large force into their power, because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers. So punishment was meted out to Joash. 25 After the Arameans had departed from him, leaving him in grievous suffering, his servants conspired against him because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest. They killed him on his sickbed. Hewas buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34
R: For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant. 4 [5] Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” (R) 28 [29] “Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm. 29 [30] I will make his posterity endure forever and his throne as the days of heaven.” (R) 30 [31] “If his sons forsake my law and walk not according to my ordinances, 31 [32] if they violate my statutes and keep not my commands.” (R) 32 [33] “I will punish their crime with a rod and their guilt with stripes. 33 [34] Yet my mercy I will not take from him, nor will I belie my faithfulness.” (R)
 
G O S P E L
 
A lot of people tragically walk around looking as though they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders — but none of them do. That’s God’s job. He alone is capable of doing it. Jesus exhorts us not to worry about what the future holds for us. Today’s worries are enough. This is great advice. Any worry about the future will only eventuate if we get through today.
 
Matthew 6:24-34
24 Jesus said to his disciples: “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? 28 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29 But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”
 
my reflections
think:How much time and energy do I spend worrying about the future?
_______________________________________________________

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 1 Chronicles 22-24
 
GETTING TO KNOW THE SAINTS
 
 
 
Saint lutgarDiS
 
Lutgardis was born in 1182 at Limburg, Netherlands. In her youth, she had no apparent religious vocation. Her dowry was lost in a failed business venture. Since she lost the chance to be married, Lutgardis at 12 was brought to the Black Benedictine convent.
 
In the convent, she received a vision of Jesus showing her His wounds. Thus, at 20, Lutgardis decided to become a Benedictine nun. The nun continued to see Christ in her prayers. She experienced ecstacies and blood dripping from her forehead and hair.
 
In 1208, on the advice of Saint Christina the Astonishing, Sister Lutgardis joined the Cistercians at Aywieres. She displayed God’s gifts of healing, prophecy and spiritual wisdom. She proved to be an inspired teacher on the Gospels.
 
In the last 11 years of the saint’s life, Lutgardis went blind. But in one of her last visions of Christ, He told her when she would die. The saint decided to spend her remaining time in prayer for the conversion of sinners.
 
On June 16, 1246, Saint Lutgardis returned to her Creator.
www.saintpatrickdc.org
www.catholic-forum.com
Saint John franciS regiS
 
John Francis Regis belonged to a wealthy family in France. He was born on January 31, 1597. At the age of 18, John was recognized as a Jesuit. He was a good preacher and catechist that children he taught encouraged their parents to return in faith.
 
In 1615, John was ordained priest. He taught people and worked with plague victims. This led him to serve as an evangelist to provinces influenced by the Huguenots. His simple approach in preaching, his patience in hearing confessions and his willingness to serve the poor paved to the conversion of many. The evangelist also had a special concern for women. He put prostitutes in hostels and kept country girls from the cities by establishing them in the lace-making and embroidery trades.
 
John Francis Regis did not escape the scrutiny of his fellow Jesuits. The priests had a movement against him concerning his “zealous signs of simplicity and indiscretion.” This did not give recognition to the order nor does it follow its teachings. The bishop, however, recognized this as jealousy and ignored the matter. To avoid further politics in the order, the priest requested to be assigned in Canada but he was ordered to stay in France instead.
 
In 1640, the saint received a premonition of his death. He devoted his last days in mission in mountain villages.
 
With the words, “Jesus, my Savior, I recommend my soul to You,” John Francis Regis died of pneumonia on December 30, 1640. He was beatified by Pope Clement XI on May 24, 1716 and canonized on June 16, 1737.
 
www.catholic-forum.com
 

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SABBATH

 

THE ANGST OF LIFE IN THE WORLD
 
The most peaceful people I know are those who have made the decision that the things of the world are not worth worrying about in comparison to the things of the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells His disciples that they should set their hearts on the Kingdom of God rather than the world, as it is in His Kingdom that we will find fulfillment.
The first step is to realize that we can only live one day at a time. There are times when we have to prepare for events in advance and are thus looking forward to something that we believe will happen. However, we cannot live that reality until it comes. The only reality we can live is that of the here and now and this is where our greater focus should be. It is a little bit like looking at a problem in the world and seeing that its scope is beyond our power to change. We can either give up in despair or concentrate on doing the little things we can do to help, hopefully, to bring about greater change if others will do their part also.
We live in the midst of a changing world that often has very mixed-up priorities. This is the source of all human angst or anxiety. It is only when our focus shifts from the world to God’s Kingdom that we will have any hope of lessening and even removing altogether the anxiety that often shadows our lives. This is the will of God for us – a will that becomes reality the more we entrust our lives into His care. Jesus does not want us carrying around a lot of anxiety because it will burden us and limit our effectiveness in proclaiming the Kingdom of God to others. Also, the witness of our lives will not be as attractive to others if they see that we are constantly burdened with all sorts of pressures and anxiety.
The promise of God to us in the Gospel is that He is our Provider. He will be the one to care for us if we have faith in Him. It is only through this faith that we will be truly free to live the life He has designed and willed for us – a life of freedom from anxiety and contentment and trust in His care for us. Fr. Steve Tynan
 
Reflection Question:
In what ways am I failing to trust God with the cares and troubles of my life? Is there anything I can do about this?
 
Holy Spirit, You are my advocate and guide. Help me to learn how to entrust my life and all its cares into the hands of my loving Father in Heaven so that I can live in peace and without any undue anxiety.
 
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, religious, pray for us.
 
 

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