Daily Bible Reflections
for February 4, 2016
;

Dear Friend,

This Thursday, remember that He knows you and loves you.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



4
February
Thursday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!
 
“Take courage...” – 1 Kings 2:2
 
       Will I be denied again, just like I was 20 years ago?

       If it were up to me, I wouldn’t apply for a US visa again and subject myself to a possible rejection. Besides, the New York trip would happen in May, at the peak of production of our annual devotional books.

      But deep in my heart, I heard God tell me, “I am in control, don’t worry.” Still, I didn’t want to raise my hopes too high. When my office mates would tell me I was sure to get it, I’d always say, “It’s up to God.”

       Even up to the time I was walking to the consul’s window, I was telling God, “Lord, let Your will be done. If it’s Your will that I go and if the trip will benefit the company, then I’ll go. If not, then it won’t matter much to me.”

       I was that detached. I just prepared the documents needed. I wanted God to manifest His will, minus any desire on my part. And God made His will known.

       After a few questions, the lady consul said, “Congratulations! Your visa is granted!”

       So off to New York I went, and it was an awesome experience that, God-willing, will open the doors of Shepherd’s Voice Publications to international business. Tess V. Atienza (theresa.a@shepherdsvoice.com.ph)

 

Reflection: Is there anything that you are praying for fervently? Let go and let God.

 

Lord, Your will is my desire. Let me know it and I’ll follow. Amen.

 
St. Joseph of Leonissa, pray for us.
 

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COMPANION

 

1ST READING
 

David advises Solomon to encourage his sons to walk in the ways of the Lord. This can be a problem with leadership that is inherited. The next leader gets the job because he is next in line and does not undergo any test. Let us pray for our leaders. It is difficult to pastor a large number of people because of their different needs and requirements.

 

1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12

1 When the time of David’s death drew near, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon: 2 “I am going the way of all flesh. Take courage and be a man. 3 Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you turn, 4 and the Lord may fulfill the promise he made on my behalf when he said, ‘If your sons so conduct themselves that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart and with their whole soul, you shall always have someone of your line on the throne of Israel.’” 10 David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. 11 The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David, with his sovereignty firmly established.

 
P S A L M
 

1 Chronicles 29:10, 11, 11-12, 12

R: Lord, you are exalted over all.

10 “Blessed may you be, O Lord, God of Israel our father, from eternity to eternity.” (R) 11 “Yours, O Lord, are grandeur and power, majesty, splendor, and glory.” (R) “Lord, you are exalted over all. Yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Riches and honor are from you.” (R) “In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.” (R)

 
GOSPEL
 

Jesus seems to be telling His disciples not to waste their time with people who refuse to believe in the Gospel. This is called triage — we decide how to spend our time and resources wisely. If we are not getting anywhere with a group of people, it may come to a point where we should “cut our losses” and leave. Then we can spend more time working with those who want to hear and respond to the Good News.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel. 100

 
Mark 6:7-13

7 Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick — no food, no sack, no money in their belts. 9 They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. 11 Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” 12 So they went off and preached repentance. 13 The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

 

think: Let us pray for our leaders. It is difficult to pastor a large number of people because of their different needs and requirements.

 
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
 

Thank You Lord for: __________________

 
____________________________________
 
 

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Romans 13-16

 
 

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SABBATH

 

TAKE COURAGE; BE A MAN!

 

Last year’s social media reports showed us a number of grisly and gruesome killings perpetrated by those who hate Christians and Christianity in general. While they do not come from mainstream and traditional media, we have no reason to take them as rumors and dismiss them altogether as fake news, given the fact that the killers themselves uploaded videos of the murders.

       Death, in itself and of itself, being a consequence of sin as we learn from Scripture, is already a difficult matter to discuss, let alone experience. We all cringe when we speak of death — our own and that of others. But we find it even more revolting when we see it happening to our brothers and sisters who are killed in the most heinous fashion, all done in the name of God, guilty of nothing more than simply not sharing the same faith with those who do the dastardly deed.

       It takes courage to live, but it takes even more courage to give up that which stands at the basis of everything else we enjoy. Even St. Paul, who was himself beheaded and died a martyr, spoke of the “sting” of death.

       Today, we read about a great man’s passing and the courage he passes on to his son. David takes the bull by the horns and accepts the reality that no one can escape: “I am going the way of all flesh.” But more than just facing death squarely and showing himself a model of dying well, he takes it a notch higher and challenges his son, Solomon: “Take courage and be a man.” He counsels Solomon to do the better thing — to live fully and face up to his responsibilities as king.

       We are all afraid to die. I am the first to acknowledge this. But not too many of us put focus on the business of living responsibly, honorably and heroically. As Pope St. John Paul II said in 1981 during the beatification of Lorenzo Ruiz, “Not all of us may be called to die for the faith, but all of us are called to live for the faith.” “Take courage and be a man.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 
REFLECTION QUESTION: How are you living your faith today?
 

Grant me courage, Lord, to live for my faith each day. Amen.

 

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