Daily Bible Reflections
for August 2, 2011;

Dear Friend,

Get empowered by His message to you this Tuesday!

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez

2
 August
Tuesday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

Oh, Me, of Little Faith!
 
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened... – Matthew 14:30
 
Many times in my life, God has called me to step out in faith and walk on water, just like Peter.
Resigning from my demanding and high-paying job two months after I got married was one of them. I felt God was calling me to prioritize building our family over pursuing my career. So with all the courage in our hearts, my husband and I decided that I’d stop working full-time.
Fear, however, started to grip my heart after I left my job. I started thinking, “Could we really afford to pay all our bills with only my husband working? How about the equity and monthly amortization of our newly acquired home? Could we afford to have a child at this time?”
I started to “sink” in my doubts and fears. But God saved me from drowning further in my doubts and fears by dispelling them with His love and His timely provisions.
He gave my husband a new and better paying job. God also took care of all our financial concerns and provided for us in ways beyond our imagination. Like He said, “It is I; do not be afraid.”Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag (teregmps@yahoo.com)
2
REFLECTION:
What causes me to be frightened at this time of my life?
 
Lord Jesus, save me from sinking in the sea of doubts and fear.
 

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COMPANION

 

1st READING
 
Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses for marrying a Cushite woman. Perhaps they felt jealous of him and his close relationship with God. God comes to Moses’ defense and strikes Miriam with leprosy, a sign of sin. Rather than take pleasure in Miriam’s punishment, Moses pleads with God to heal her. Here  we see both the humility and forgiving nature of Moses.
 
Numbers 12:1-13
1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on the pretext of the marriage he had contracted with a Cushite woman. 2 They complained, “Is it through Moses alone that the LORD speaks? Does he not speak through us also?” And the LORD heard this. 3 Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth. 4 So at once the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the meeting tent.” And the three of them went. 5 Then the LORD came down in the column of cloud, and standing at the entrance of the tent, called Aaron and Miriam. When both came forward, 6 he said, “Now listen to the words of the LORD: Should there be a prophet among you, in visions will I reveal myself to him, in dreams will I speak to him; 7 not so with my servant Moses! Throughout my house he bears my trust: 8 face to face I speak to him, plainly and not in riddles. The presence of the LORD he beholds. Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 So angry was the LORD against them that when he departed, 10 and the cloud withdrew from the tent, there was Miriam, a snow-white leper! When Aaron turned and saw her a leper, 11 “Ah, my lord!” he said to Moses, “please do not charge us with the sin that we have foolishly committed! 12 Let her not thus be like the stillborn babe that comes forth from its mother’s womb with its flesh half consumed.” 13 Then Moses cried to the LORD, “Please, not this! Pray, heal her!”
 
P S A L M
 
Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 12-13
R: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 3 [5] For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always. 4 [6] “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.” (R) That you may be justified in your sentence, vindicated when you condemn. 5 [7] Indeed, in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me. (R) 10 [12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11  [13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R)
 
G O S P E L
 
In our lives, we, too, can feel like these disciples, far out to sea, in a boat, tossed about by the wind and waves and Jesus seems far away. Although it may seem that the storms of life are going to destroy us, we can be assured that Jesus is always praying for us and that, at the right time, He will come to us and invite us to make new steps of faith as St. Peter did.
 
ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.
R: Alleluia, alleluia
 
Matthew 14:22-36 (or Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14)
22 Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. 27 At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” 34 After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick 36 and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed.
 
my reflections
t h i n k : Although it may seem that the storms of life are going to destroy us, we can be assured that Jesus is always praying for us and that He will come to us and invite us to make new steps of faith.
 
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 Ecclesiastes 9-12
 
 

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SABBATH

 

WE MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE
 
One of the most difficult lessons to learn in life is forgiveness. The only way we can learn it is by practicing it. The theory is quite simple. If we want to live with integrity and holiness, how can we expect God to forgive us our sins if we are not willing to forgive those who sin against us? Forgiveness is fundamental to the life of a Christian as it is only through the forgiveness of his sins in baptism that one can enter into the Christian life.
Forgiveness is the entry point, or better yet, the means to enter into the Christian life. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we celebrate the forgiveness of a person’s sin and the beginning of his life under the will of God. We are called to forgive the sins of those who hurt us because we have known and experienced God’s forgiveness of our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Why is the forgiveness of sins so important?
When a person sins against another, the one who is sinned against has a fundamental choice to make: Will I let go of this sin by forgiving the person or will I hang on to it and seek revenge or hold resentment against him? The second is clearly not a healthy option as our resentment and anger will ultimately eat us up from within. If we choose badly we actually put ourselves in the filth of sin even more. And what is worse, we are totally culpable for this. We have chosen to wallow in the sin of self-indulgence by not forgiving the person who has sinned against us.
Thus the choice to forgive is the choice of freedom. The choice to forgive not only sets the sinner free to embrace the call to repentance and conversion without resentment and fear of revenge plaguing one’s mind; it also affirms our own freedom to act as Christ has acted towards us. This is a sign that true conversion has really taken root in our lives and that we are serious in following Christ.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
 
Reflection Question:
Do I hold resentment and unforgiveness against anyone? Is it helping me to live a better life?
 
Lord Jesus, I thank You for the gift of forgiveness and I pray that I will always exercise my freedom to forgive those who sin against me.
 
St. Thomas of Dover, pray for us.
 

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