Daily Bible Reflections
for February 20, 2011;

Dear Friend,

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

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez

20
 February
Sunday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

it’s our CHOI CE
 
“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart…Take no revenge and cherish no grudge…” – Leviticus 19:17-18
 
Cherish verb. 1. To hold dear; treat with care and affection. 2. To keep deeply in mind.
          Oh, I definitely cherished it. Every time I remembered the things that person said against my husband, I wanted to lash out at her and say all the things that people were saying behind her back. She told others about the speck in my husband’s eye but she couldn’t see the plank that everyone else could see on hers.
I wanted to get it off my chest but the words of Jesus kept haunting me. “Love your enemies. Pray for your persecutors.” My husband kept reminding me that it wasn’t my battle. I was so upset that it was consuming me and poisoning my spirit, imprisoning me and robbing me of my peace. I begged the Lord to help me overcome the ill feelings but they keptflooding my heart with resentment.
Then in a prayer meeting, I heard a preacher say, “You have a choice.” Suddenly, God’s light broke through. I can choose to love or to hate. I can choose to forgive and be at peace or to be resentful and miserable. Praise God for free will! I can choose to be free!Ronna Ledesma (ronnaledesma@email.com)
 
REFLECTION:
Would you really have peace of mind if you gave someone a piece of your mind?
 
Thank You, Jesus, for Your tremendous grace that enables us to hold back our tongue and allow Your love to wash away the filth in our hearts.
 
 

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COMPANION

 

1st READING
The basis for the teaching of Jesus is already there in the Old Testament. The story of God’s work with the Jews is not just a prologue to Christianity – it provides us with the foundation for our understanding of our relationship with God. The call to be holy is fundamental to a life of discipleship. We cannot avoid it and thus we must find a way to grow in holiness each day through prayer and service of the Kingdom of God.
 
Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy. 17 “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him. 18 Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”
 
P S A L M
 
Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13
R: The Lord is kind and merciful.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (R) 3 He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. 4 He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. (R) 8 Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. 10 Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. (R) 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. (R)
 
2nd READING
 
Every time we sin, no matter how small or big, we damage our ability to truly reflect and minister the love of God to others. This is why we need to realize that everything we do or say reflects upon our character as disciples of Jesus! Have an image of what you think a good disciple of Jesus should be like and compare your own life to that image. I dare say that there is probably quite a difference between what you think you should be and what you are!
 
1Corinthians 3:16-23
16 Brothers and sisters: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: “He catches the wise in their own ruses,” 20 and again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” 21 So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, 22 Paul or Apollos or Kephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, 23 and you to Christ, and Christ to God.
 
G O S P E L
 
Jesus reiterates the Old Testament call to grow in holiness. It is good for us to be reminded of this fundamental aspect of Christian living as it is often neglected in our day and age through the spirit of compromise that we so often imbibe from the world. When it comes to God and the call to holiness, near enough is not good enough! Jesus deserves only the best we can give Him.
 
ALLELUIA
 
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
 
Matthew 5:38-48
38 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. 40 If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 41 Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. 43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
 
my reflections
t h i n k : When it comes to God and the call to holiness, near enough is not good enough! Jesus deserves only the best we can give Him.
 
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 Numbers 34-36
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
                     _______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
 
 
 
 

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SABBATH

 

A MORON, AN AVENGER OR A CHRISTIAN
One day, a man went to visit the wise man of the village. “Teacher,” the man said, “my brother hit me on both cheeks and so I fled. What should I do?” The wise man looked at him and asked, “Were you able to count how many times he hit you?” “Forty-nine times, Master,” the man answered. The wise man smiled at him and said, “Go back and tell him to hit you another time to make it 50.” “But what for?” the man shouted, surprised by the wise man’s advice. “Well, my friend,” replied the wise man, “the 50th is for your stupidity, you moron! Why let your brother hit you 49 times without doing anything about it?”
When Jesus said that we should offer our other cheek if anyone hits us on the right cheek, He did not mean that we have to be so stupid to willingly submit ourselves to violence or to take revenge. Jesus, of course, does not want us to end up mangled and violated. Instead, He wants that we stop the vicious cycle of violence. Taking revenge never ends violence; it aggravates it.
When someone strikes us and aims for another round, would we be morons not to take cover? Would we be vengeful and strike back? Or would we be Christian enough to take his hand and start a dialogue to understand where he is coming from, with the hope that reconciliation would follow?
We can be morons, avengers or Christians. The choice is ours. Choose before the next strike and let your choice be always loving.
But let us not be blinded by our illusions about love: that we really love when we feel like loving; that loving means liking; and that love begets love.
Let us not be morons. Let us not be avengers. Let us be what we have been called and chosen to be: Christians, disciples of Christ who forgives us even before we forgive others. Fr. Bobby Titco
 
Reflection Question:
Am I a moron, an avenger or a Christian?
 
Flood me with Your love, O Lord, the love that forgives me and restores me in Your grace. As You forgive me, may I have the strength and generosity to forgive those who sin against me. I refuse to be a moron. I do not desire revenge. I want to be a Christian in life until death and beyond. Amen.
 
St. Colgan, pray for us.
 

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