Daily Bible Reflections
for August 30, 2008;

Dear Friend,

Be filled with God's joy this Saturday.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez

30
 August
Saturday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

TRUE OR FALSE (HUmILITY)?
 
… so that no human being might boast before God. – 1 Corinthians 1:29
 
“I’m proud to be humble!”
Have you ever heard somebody declare this? It’s like a big joke, right? But there’s a tiny grain of truth in it. Humble people are so inspiring. They actually have a sweet-smelling aroma about them. Boastful people are difficult to be with, to say the least.
One of the 20th century’s greatest spiritual thinkers, Thomas Merton, in his book Thoughts in Solitude, writes:
“Humility is a virtue… It sets us free to act virtuously, to serve God and to know Him. Therefore true humility can never inhibit any really virtuous action, nor can it prevent us from fulfilling ourselves by doing the will of God. Humility sets us free to do what is really good… A humility that freezes our being and frustrates all healthy activity is not humility at all, but a disguised form of pride. It dries up the roots of the spiritual life and makes it impossible for us to give ourselves to God.”
I think of the many times when I failed in humility. When my inaction was for me seeming humility, yet it was disguised pride.
I have nothing to boast. I have much to work on.
May I look to God and see this truth. Lallaine Gogna
 
REFLECTION:
Has there ever been a time when false humility got the better of you? What did you (or did not) do?
 
Lord, for the many times I have not  learned from Your very own humility, forgive me! Please never tire to teach me deep humility. Amen.
 
St. Rose of Lima, virgin, pray for us.
 

The all-new Feast mobile app is finally here! All the content you love from here may also be found in our new app and so much more! Please make sure to download the new Feast App, as we will eventually stop updating this version soon.

Let's continue to grow together with our all-new Feast app! Download and upgrade today: Feast App for Android | Feast App for iOS.


Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

Get your daily readings and more for free inside the Feast App!
Google PlayStore     iOS AppStore
COMPANION

 

1st READING
 
God is not interested in the critique of the world of His nature or His plans for humanity’s salvation and nor should we! What should concern us is whether or not we are living under His grace. It does not matter who we are or what we have done in the past; God looks to the future and our response there in deciding how to distribute His grace to us. It is those who will surrender to Him and rely upon His strength who will be the stronger in warding off the powers of sin in their lives.
 
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
26 Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, 28 and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, 29 so that no human being might boast before God. 30 It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”
 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21
R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
12 Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. 13 From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind. (R) 18 But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield, 21 for in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust. (R)
 
G O S P E L
 
Stewardship will always be an issue when it comes to the day of Judgment. There are a number of times when Jesus tells a parable with this as its underlying message. Therefore, it is a wise person who regularly considers how well he is using the gifts God has graced him with in his life. What sort of fruit is your life bearing at the moment? Do you have reason to be concerned in this regard or not?
 
Matthew 25:14-30
14 Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one — to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately, 16 the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. 17 Likewise, the one who received two made another two. 18 But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come,share your master’s joy.’ 22 Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; 25 so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ 26 His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? 28 Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”
 
my reflections
think:It is a wise person who regularly considers how well he is using the gifts God has graced him with in his life.
 
_______________________________________________________

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 Psalm 66-69
 
 

The all-new Feast mobile app is finally here! All the content you love from here may also be found in our new app and so much more! Please make sure to download the new Feast App, as we will eventually stop updating this version soon.

Let's continue to grow together with our all-new Feast app! Download and upgrade today: Feast App for Android | Feast App for iOS.


Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

Get your daily readings and more for free inside the Feast App!
Google PlayStore     iOS AppStore
SABBATH

 

thE UnExPECtEd hErO
 
Parables are not nice bedtime stories. With his parables, Jesus shocked his listeners and confronted them with their own mistakes or with unjust situations in His contemporary society.
The parable of the talents is often interpreted as Jesus’ demand to be active and use the God-given talents and not “bury” them and be lazy. Surely, that is what Jesus wants his disciples to be. But is this the message Jesus wants to give with this particular parable? Probably not.
In a parable the climax comes always at the end and so we have to focus on the servant who buried the money. But let us ask first: Why does the rich man entrust his money to his servants? He wants get more out of it when he comes back. He uses his servants to work for him while he enjoys a good life abroad. While two servants allow themselves to be abused, only the last one has the guts to tell his master the truth: “You are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered.” He is the only one who points out the social injustice of his master and does not cooperate with his oppressive practices. He is the hero who tells the truth.
Abusive practices, corruption, social injustice continue to enrich those in position and make the life of not so well-off citizens miserable. They know that if they do not cooperate with their boss they will be fired. They know that if they do not support the shady practices of their superiors they will lose their job. They know that they have to keep quiet in order to survive in their position.
I guess, only very few have the guts of the third servant, the unexpected hero of the story. Fr. Rudy Horst
 
Reflection Question:
What do I do when someone involves me in corruption or injustice? Do I have the courage to refuse because it is not what God wants?
 
Lord, it is not easy at all to follow You. It needs so much courage and strength to swim against the current and stand up for Your values. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit will I be able to do this. Come, Holy Spirit, and strengthen me.
 
St. Rose of Lima, virgin, pray for us.
 

The all-new Feast mobile app is finally here! All the content you love from here may also be found in our new app and so much more! Please make sure to download the new Feast App, as we will eventually stop updating this version soon.

Let's continue to grow together with our all-new Feast app! Download and upgrade today: Feast App for Android | Feast App for iOS.


Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

Get your daily readings and more for free inside the Feast App!
Google PlayStore     iOS AppStore

 

 

We are happy to be sending this to you. Aside from our work of evangelization, the Feast also supports 10 foundations for the poor. Would you like to be part of this humble mission of helping our beneficiaries by donating?  Click here to share in God's work through the Feast Mercy Ministries. 

Do You Want Your Friend To Receive This Email?
Friend's Email:
 

Thank you for being part of the Feast family!

JOIN THE FEAST: Find a spiritual family. Join the Feast!
Find one near you! Check out our Feast locations and schedules here: feast.ph/locations. You may also follow us on Facebook for more Feast community-wide updates.

PRAY-OVER SESSIONS: Need someone to talk to? Want someone to pray with you?
Get in touch with our LOJ Pastoral Care Center at 0923 132 3071 (Sun) and 0917 145 3756 (Globe) from Monday to Saturday 8 AM to 10 PM. You may also set a session via chat here.

DOWNLOAD THE FEAST APP: Feed your faith with the all-new Feast mobile app! Keep receiving God's Message daily on your mobile.

Download today!  Feast App for Android | Feast App for iOS

LOVE OFFERINGS AND DONATIONS: Let’s continue the cycle of generosity. Choose how you want to give to our Feast Mercy Ministries foundations:

After your transfer/ deposit, please send a copy of your deposit slip with your name and contact number to support@kerygmafamily.com so that we can have a record of your donation

1. Register for monthly giving here: www.feastmercyministries.com/give

2. Online thru PayPal:  PayPal.me/KerygmaFamily 

3. Through bank deposits and transfers:

Account name:  Shepherd’s Voice Radio and Television Foundation      

4. Give through GCASH: Scan the QR Code below

For any concerns or inquiries regarding your donation, please contact Joya from the Feast Mercy Ministries at (+632) 8725-9999 or +639989684416. Thank you again and God bless you more!