Daily Bible Reflections
for September 18, 2014
;

Dear Friend,

Be blessed by His Creative Word this Thursday!

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



18
September
Thursday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

WON BY LOVE
 

“So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, hence; she has shown great love.” – Luke 7:47

 

       Norma McCorvey was young, poor and desperate when she became pregnant for the third time in the 1970s and so she sought legal abortion. Two Ivy League feminist lawyers used her case to promote abortion rights in Texas. Norma became their plaintiff under the pseudonym “Jane Roe” in the Roe vs. Wade case of 1973, where the US Supreme Court ruled that individual state laws banning abortion were unconstitutional.

       In 1994, Norma became a Christian. In her book, Won by Love, published in 1998, she speaks out for the unborn as she shares her new conviction for life. “All those years I was wrong.... Abortion — at any point — was wrong,” she said.

       A small child’s affection, a mother’s trust, and friendship with a Christian man led Norma to the love, forgiveness and hope offered by Jesus Christ. She became a pro-life activist and is fighting to make abortion illegal. In 1998, she became a Catholic.

       Norma’s story of conversion proves that not even our darkest sin can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38). His forgiveness and unconditional love will heal your deepest wounds and use you to heal others. Marjorie Ann Duterte (marjorie.travels@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: Take His offer of grace and mercy. His love will restore you to wholeness.

 

Lord Jesus, forgive us our sins. May we never lead others to sin. Fill our hearts with Your love that we may love others as You love us.

 

St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us.

 

 

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COMPANION

 

1ST READING
 

Paul explains to us the nature of tradition — handing on to the next generation what we have received from the previous one. In this way the Gospel is kept alive and vibrant. Each generation must embrace the Gospel truths in the way appropriate to them, but the core truths are untouchable and immutable. It is our solemn duty to hand them to the next generation unsullied by the sin of our own generation.

 
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. 2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; 4 that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; 5 that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. 9 For I am the least of the Apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 28

R: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 2 Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) 16 “The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord has struck with power.” 17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. (R) 28 You are my God, and I give thanks to you; O my God, I extol you. (R)

 
GOSPEL
 

Let us be willing to waste our time and love on Jesus. Why? It is never a waste of our time and love to do this. It is not possible to love Jesus too much. The nature of the grace of God and the dynamic of salvation means that the more time we spend with God, the deeper we will enter into the mysteries of our faith. It is clear that we need to spend as much time as we can developing our faith.

 
 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

 
Luke 7:36-50

36 A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. 47 So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

think:  Let us be willing to waste our time and love on Jesus.

 
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
 
____________________________________
 
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
 

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 119

 

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SABBATH

 

EXTRAVAGANT LOVE

 

Simon the Pharisee must have been excited when Jesus responded to his invitation to come and dine at his house. This well-reputed Jesus interested the Pharisees and Simon presumably wanted to know more about this man. We are not aware of his motives but it seems like a friendly invitation on the part of the Pharisee. However, it all went horribly wrong. Can you imagine the look on Simon’s face when the woman (who had a bad name in that town) storms into his dinner party and begins to act extravagantly towards Jesus?

       While Simon is aghast, Jesus recognizes His host’s disapproval and the thoughts running through his mind. Jesus responds to this in His true prophetic manner by addressing a parable to the host. After posing a question related to the parable, Jesus commends Simon for answering correctly. Then He proceeds to attack the Pharisee and his halfhearted response to the little ones of the Kingdom of God.

       First, Jesus rebukes Simon for showing no form of customary foot washing for his guest, which was proper for any visitor. He then rebukes him for offering no greeting of peace, the customary shalom. He performed none of the hospitality rituals known to the Jewish custom and, for this, the Pharisee is exposed to shame. As for the woman, the one who had a bad name in town, she acted extravagantly in her actions by pouring forth her love and respect. To make matters worse for the Pharisee, Jesus forgave the woman of her sins and she goes in peace — for she had loved much.

       God can never be outdone in His generosity. Our affection, no matter how extravagant, will never match the love and mercy that God has shown us in Jesus. St. Therese of Lisieux tells us that God will fill whatever we give Him. We can bring Him a thimble, small as it is, and God will fill it with His grace. Or we can bring a gallon drum and God will fill that, too. The measure we give will be the measure given to us. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: In what ways do you show your loving affection to the Lord?

 

You are my God. I thank You and I praise You. Amen.

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