Daily Bible Reflections
for March 20, 2011;

Dear Friend,

Each Sunday is a Mini-Easter. Show that Jesus is alive today!

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez

20
 March
Sunday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

HAVE YO U BEEN WITH HIM?
 
“God … has called us to a holy life… according to his own design...” – 2 Timothy 1:9
 
My jaw dropped as I listened in awe to this man who was once UK’s ninth richest guy, before he even reached age 30! He was so rich he just had a BMW custom-built for him, a latest addition to his fleet of cars which included a Ferrari. He was so rich that he started asking why he had so much money. That mystery robbed him of peace and made him go around the world in search of something more real. Then a Filipina friend introduced him to Gawad Kalinga. What he expected to be the usual housing project for the poor put up by donors’ money turned out to be something that drove him to trade his life of luxury for something that he found in the slums of the Philippines.
Whatever went on in his heart that made him do these crazy things according to the world’s standard is something that only God and he can understand. I’m sure that you and I have our own stories of transformation that may not be as great as Dylan Wilk’s testimony. It may be giving up smoking, drinking, drugs, womanizing, dishonesty, lying. Whatever it is, there’s one thing that’s common — whenever a person has a close encounter with God, he can never be the same again. Ronna Ledesma (ronnaledesma@email.com)
 
REFLECTION:
If you say you are a Christian and nothing has changed in you, then you probably have never been in His presence yet.
 
Let me encounter Your holy presence in my every waking moment, Lord.
 
 

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COMPANION

 

1st READING
 
In Chapter 12 of Genesis, we begin the history of the Jewish people. (It is generally accepted that the first 11 chapters belong to the genre of protohistory). The important aspect of this text is to understand that the three promises given to Abraham form the basis of the rest of the Old Testament writings as they seek to follow the process of God’s fulfillment of them – promises of land, blessing and progeny.
 
Genesis 12:1-4
1 The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” 4 Abram went as the LORD directed him.
 
P S A L M
 
Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
4 Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. (R) 18 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. 22 May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (R)
 
2nd READING
 
Any hardships and struggles we endure are part of our growth in holiness whether they are directly willed by God or not. The life of discipleship is a life of character formation whereby we are called to surrender our lives to a process under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, where we will be purified of sin and selfishness and called into a life of service and selflessness. May we all choose this as our path to life. After all, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
 
2 Timothy 1:8-10
8 Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. 9 He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
 
G O S P E L
 
The Transfiguration reminds us of the holiness of Jesus and also that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, represented by the presence of Moses (The Law) and Elijah (The Prophets). It is important for us to respond to this revelation through an act of faith and trust in Jesus - that He is truly the Son of God and thus we will surrender all to Him and follow His call on our lives.
 
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: This is my beloved Son, hear him.
 
Matthew 17:1-9
1 Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” 8 And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
 
my reflections
t h i n k : Any hardships and struggles we endure are part of our growth in holiness whether they are directly willed by God or not.
 
 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 Samuel 25-28
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

 

GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM
 
The beginning of the “real history” of the Jewish people is a set of promises that, in many ways, underlies the rest of the Old Testament and arguably the New Testament as well when we consider the fact that it is Jesus who actually fulfills these promises. As D.A.J. Clines suggests, the Old Testament is the story of the partial fulfillment and thus partial nonfulfillment of the promises God made to Abraham.
These three promises can be summarized as promises of Land, Blessing and Progeny. God promises Abraham  these three things even though they must seem almost laughable to Abraham given the situation. Abraham is a wealthy man and needs none of these promises (except the one about children), which makes it all the more astounding that Abraham actually responds to God’s call. Unless he is obsessed about having a child, it makes no sense at all for him to leave everything he has on the dim hope of a promise from a God with whom he is barely acquainted.
Yet, we know that Abraham did respond and the rest, as they say, is history. Abraham’s response has paved the way for a multitude of other people to make their responses to God’s call. This is the nature of faithfulness in that it more often than not will provide opportunities for others to deepen their relationships with God, not just the individual concerned. As Paul will tell us two thousand years later, “faith builds upon faith.”
The Jews see the fulfillment of these promises in terms of the land of Israel given to them by God for their own; recognition that they are a great people by other nations; and the understanding that the Jewish people are the sons and daughters of Abraham.
As Christians we believe that the Promised Land is in heaven, not on earth; the Blessings are those that come with the gift of Salvation; and we all become sons and daughters of God through faith in Jesus Christ.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
 
Reflection Question:
How do I see myself in relation to the promises God made to Abraham? Have I ever considered them in my own life?
 
Jesus, help me to open my heart and mind to the truth of the Scriptures so that I will be able to discern their true meaning and know how to apply them to my own life.
 
St. Martin of Braga, pray for us.
 

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