Daily Bible Reflections
for December 3, 2014
;

Dear Friend,

This Wednesday, may you hear His voice in your heart!

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez


Enter the first Sunday of Advent with great hope in your heart!

3
December
Wednesday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

OVERWHELMING LOVE
 

They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets full. – Matthew 15:37

 

       “I was naked and you clothed me with Levi’s.”

       This line was pinned on a fraternity paddle in our rector’s office. A student, who should have been expelled because of major violations, was given a second chance. He was so touched with the overwhelming kindness and forgiveness shown to him by God that he wrote this line and gave up his paddle for good.

       Jesus fed the people and still left them with more. He always gives more than enough to show how much love He has for us — even to the point of dying on the cross.

       Things may not be dramatic or big all the time but God’s display of immense love is manifest in our daily life. Whether it’s a promotion at work, a healing from dengue, a restored relationship, a sumptuous meal, an available parking slot — all these are God’s favor, His awesome love made concrete.

       The frat member turned his life around in gratitude when he realized how lavish God’s love was for him.

       Do you realize and feel His overwhelming love? Jun Asis (mabuting.balita@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: At the end of each day, ask yourself how God made His marvelous love known to you and thank Him for His gift.

 

Lord, You overwhelm me with Your love daily. May every moment of my life be a testament of my gratitude to You.

 

St. Francis Xavier, priest, pray for us.

 

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COMPANION

 

1ST READING
 

The first week of Advent is always a meditation on the abundant promises of the Lord to those who embrace His will. His promises motivate us to make the difficult decisions of discipleship that constitute the daily Christian life. Yet, there has to be more than simply the promise of reward for righteous living; there has to be embracing of the good, right and beautiful as well. In other words, a righteous life is at least, in part, its own reward for our choices.

 
Isaiah 25:6-10

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; 8 he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken. 9 On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” 10 For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.

 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R: I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. (R)

 
 
GOSPEL
 

Jesus hardly ever expresses concern that is focused on Himself. His heart is always looking out for others. This gels with what we hear in the Gospels when He says that He comes to serve and not to be served. We should all have a similar attitude in the way we follow Jesus. We may fall into the sin of selfishness from time to time but let us not be resigned to this. Let us always look for ways to open our hearts to others and see the multitude of possibilities for serving them.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.

 
Matthew 15:29-37

29 At that time, Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 30 Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. 31 The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel. 32 Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” 33 The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” 34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” 35 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over — seven baskets full.

 

think:  Let us always look for ways to open our hearts to others and see the multitude of possiblities for serving them.

 
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 Ezekiel 29-32

 

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SABBATH

 

EUCHARISTIC CREATURES

 

Today’s saint is St. Francis Xavier, born in Spain, who, with St. Ignatius of Loyola, became one of the seven who founded the Society of Jesus. He preached for six months in Africa. On his way to Asia, he spent the rest of his life spreading the Word of God in India, Japan and the Philippines. Yes, he went to the Philippines. Was he welcomed hospitably? Did he get the chance to taste adobo, sinigang and sinampalukang manok? Anyway, other than these mouthwatering delicacies is the “food” St. Francis definitely introduced to our ancestors — the Eucharist.

       The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life. In today’s Gospel, Jesus attended to the needs of the people. They saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. Then, He fed 4,000 men (not including women and children) with just seven loaves and a few fishes. All of them ate and were filled, and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. For Jesus wants a memorial (anamnesis) of His suffering, a sacrifice in the transformation (transubstantiation) of bread and wine into His Body and Blood through the Holy Spirit (epiclesis).

       In the Eucharist, Jesus heals. He heals our broken self, damaged past, and emotional anxieties. He restores our health and rejuvenates our strength. In the Eucharist, Jesus feeds. He feeds our hungry soul with His own Body and Blood; satiates our thirst through His life-giving Word. In the Eucharist, Jesus feasts with us — a banquet where everyone is welcome — for thanksgiving, for offering, for sacrifices and sharing.

       It is the moment when people commune with each other, build the Body of Christ as one Church, and commune with a communing God.

       Finally, our Gospel today challenges us as the First Reading says, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.” Our constant contact with Christ in the Eucharist will transform us to be healers and feeders, to be Eucharistic creatures! Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you respond to the needs of your neighbor? Do you value the Eucharist as much as you value Christ?

 
Lord, help me to be as generous as You are.
 

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