Daily Bible Reflections
for July 5, 2009;

Dear Friend,

This Sunday, remember that you are hidden in His heart.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez

5
 July
Sunday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

ToWERS AND TEmPlES
 
They said, “Where did this man get all this? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands?” – Mark 6:2
 
No picture can do justice to how the Niagara Falls looks. With three waterfalls as wide as 750 meters, it generates so much mist as its water leaps 50 meters down.
Our boat ride on the Maid of the Mist to the bottom of the Niagara was an awesome experience. The mist produced a kaleidoscope of rainbows and the crashing roar of the water deafened us. Looking up, I saw magnificent towers of water and couldn’t help but recognize the greatness of the Creator stamped all over it. Ironically, there were numerous casino hotels that also towered in height by the side of the falls, as if competing with God’s creation for attention.
We build temples of the Holy Spirit in us if we follow His leading in our lives. In the  scene at Niagara, we become temples of men if we find more enjoyment in man’s creation like the casinos and worldly entertainment than what God has created for our pleasure. Let’s build temples of the Holy Spirit and not temples of men.  Rolly España
 
REFLECTION:
We practice idolatry when we follow our self-will instead of God’s will.
 
O Holy Spirit, guide me in all that I do that I may see and follow God’s will always.
 

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COMPANION

 

1st READING
 
The role of a prophet can be a very lonely one, especially when the message he bears is not welcomed by the people, and this is probably the case more than 50 percent of the time. However, a call is a call and God asks for nothing less than 100 percent obedience. Ezekiel discovers the challenges of being a prophet to a people reluctant to listen to God’s Word but he never gives up and has a reasonable  mount
of success in getting his message across to them.
 
Ezekiel 2:2-5
2 As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking 3 say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have revolted against me to this very day. 4 Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am sending you. But you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD! 5 And whether they heed or resist — for they are a rebellious house — they shall know that a prophet has been among them.
 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 123:1-2. 2. 3-4
R: Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
1 To you I lift up my eyes who are enthroned in heaven — 2 as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters. (R) As the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the LORD, our God, till he have pity on us. (R) 3 Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us, for we are more than sated with contempt; 4 our souls are more than sated with the mockery of the arrogant, with the contempt of the proud. (R)
 
2nd READING
 
I wonder what the thorn in Paul’s flesh was? Having said that, I am sure that it is pointless trying to work it out, as we are simply not told by the Scriptures of its origin. What we do know, however, is that Paul persevered through the struggle and was in the end victorious through the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is what we can learn from the Reading today. Let us seek to imitate Paul in that whatever sin that we struggle with the most, we will never give up until we have final victory over it even if that means fighting it until the day we die.
 
 
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 Brothers and sisters: That, I Paul, might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, 9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 10 Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
 
G O S P E L
 
Almsgiving is always a somewhat vexing issue. We need to reflect upon it from the point of view of our responsibility to live in solidarity with all people and not from the self-righteous position of “what I have earned is mine to do with as I please!” Wealth, in fact any material possessions, brings with it the responsibility of sharing with those who have less. The only compulsion that Jesus had when he died on the cross was the compulsion of love. Let us seek to respond to the call to love as well, in all that we do and not just in selective instances.
 
Mark 6:1-6
1 Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” 5 So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
 
my reflections
think: Wealth brings with it the responsibility of sharing with those who have less in life.
 
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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Kings 3-6
 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
   ________________________________________________________________
 
   ________________________________________________________________
 
                                                  ________________________________________________________________
 
 
 
 
2 Kings 5-8
 

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SABBATH

 

WhAt return cAn i mAke, o lord?
 
A mother gave his boy two P10 coins. The boy was to put one to the collection basket at Mass and the other was for his own candy pleasure after Mass. On the way to Church, the boy was tossing the coins to the air. Unfortunately, he failed to catch
one of the coins and it went straight to the sewers. Knowing that he can never retrieve it, he said, “I’m sorry, Lord, there goes Your P10.” Our first reading today is about thanksgiving. Jacob vows to the Lord, “Of everything you give me, I will faithfully return a tenth part to you” (Genesis 28:22). I invite you to reflect on the following article entitled “Isn’t It Strange?”
1. Isn’t it strange how a 20-dollar bill seems like a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?
2. Isn’t it strange how two hours seem so long when you’re in church, but how short when you’re watching a good movie?
3. Isn’t it strange that you can’t find a word to say when praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?
4. Isn’t it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but so easy to read 100 pages of a popular novel?
5. Isn’t it strange how everyone wants front-row tickets to concerts or games, but prefer sitting at the last row in church?
6. Isn’t it strange how we need to know about a church event two to three weeks in advance so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust for other events at the last minute?
7. Isn’t it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but so easy to learn and repeat gossip?
8. Isn’t it strange how we believe what magazines and newspapers say, but question the words in the Bible?
9. Isn’t it strange how everyone wants a place in Heaven, but they don’t want to believe, do or say anything to get there? Fr. Joel O. Jason
 
Reflection Question:
In what concrete way do you show your generosity and gratitude to God? Are you a good steward of God’s gifts?
 
Lord, everything that we have and are come from Your generosity. Make me an instrument of Your goodness and charity to everyone I meet. Amen.
 
St. Maria Gorretti, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.
 

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