Daily Bible Reflections
for May 1, 2016
;

Dear Friend,

This Sunday, remember that you are hidden in His heart.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



1
May
Sunday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker

 
DON’T CUT THE
STRING
 

Jesus answered and said to his disciples, “Whoever loves me will keep my word…” – John 14:23

 

       Imagine a kite flying high up in the sky. You are the kite. God is the boy flying that kite. The string between the boy and the kite is your relationship with God.

        But there are kites that feel that the string is holding them back. They say, “I can fly higher if not for this string.” So they cut the string. They want to live their life on their own terms.

      When they cut the string, they soar even higher into the sky. And these kites feel wonderful. But in due time, they will come crashing down, destroying themselves to bits.

       Don’t cut the string. Remain in your relationship with God. In other words, allow Him to love you.

     I’m not just talking about friendship with God. It’s more than friendship. Aside from a relationship, God casts a vision — a dream.

       Like the boy flying the kite, God has a vision for your life: that you fly high up in the sky, as high as the kite can possibly fly.

      But like the kite, you cannot fly if you cut yourself from Him. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

 

Reflection: “God has a perfect plan for us. He never does it all at once, just step by step because He wants to teach us to ‘walk by faith,’ not by sight.” (Unknown)

 

Dear Lord, don’t ever let me go, even if at times I seem to want to do so.

 
St. Joseph the worker, pray for us.
 

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COMPANION

 

1ST READING
 

Just like in other organizations, there are disputes about correct and best practices in the Church. The Apostles have to work out what is required from Gentile converts to Christianity. They decide that most of the aspects of Jewish Law are no longer relevant. Paul and Barnabas are commissioned to explain this decision to their communities. Let us keep our faith true to the Gospel and as straightforward as possible.

 
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

1 Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” 2 Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question. 22 The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. 23 This is the letter delivered by them: “The apostles and the elders, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some of our number who went out without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, 25 we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: 28 ‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, 29 namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”

 
P S A L M
 

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R: O God, let all the nations praise you!

1 [2] May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. 2 [3] So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R) 4 [5] May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. (R) 5 [6] May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! 7 [8] May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! (R)

 
2ND READING
 
 

In heaven, everyone will focus on God alone. We will no longer need to visit temples, synagogues or churches. More than buildings and things, our focus must be on our relationships with God and one another. It is our relationships that will endure for eternity and not the things and possessions of this world. Let us fix our eyes on God so that we will not be distracted by the pleasures of the world.

 

Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23

10 The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. 13 There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb. 23 The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.

 
GOSPEL
 

Jesus will eventually return to the Father and He wants His disciples to be prepared for this. While it is not the “end of the world,” it does mean that the disciples will need to step up to fill the void when He leaves. We all share in the work of the Church through baptism. Let us be mindful of our need to be active in the life and mission of the Church as disciples of Jesus.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

 
John 14:23-29

23 Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. 25 I have told you this while I am with you. 26 The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. 28 You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. 87

 

think: It is our relationships that will endure for eternity and not the things and possessions of this world.

 
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 Deuteronomy 12-14 
 
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

 

ABSENCE AS AN ENABLING PRESENCE

 

I remember the day vividly — February 2, 1999. I invited the then Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin, for the groundbreaking of the church we were planning to build in my parish. To us, that day was the climax of years of toiling, planning and fundraising. I was happy for my parish community. That day, I felt that I was truly a parish priest of a community.

       But after the rites, the Cardinal whispered something to me. I cannot recall now the exact words, but I got the message. By some pastoral wisdom known only to him, he was taking me out of the parish and sending me to Rome for further studies in August of the same year. And since then, I was never assigned again to any parish. After my studies in Rome, I have become a seminary formator and professor, a position I hold until now.

       Cardinal Sin was my bishop and I pledged obedience to him on my ordination day. I said yes to his instruction, but I must admit that I didn’t want to leave my parish then. I had many plans for the community and was beginning to build stronger ties with the parishioners. Everything would collapse in my absence. Or so I thought. But you know what? My former parish is now thriving. The church has been built, the community is vibrant — more vibrant, I believe, than I could ever make it to be.

       In the Gospel, Jesus is bidding His disciples goodbye. He will be absent, but His absence is in view of another presence — the presence of the Holy Spirit. The physical absence of the earthly Jesus, limited by space and time, was the condition for a more intensive presence, that of the Holy Spirit.

       In my short parish stint, I discovered this truth: Absence at times is just another form of presence. There is only one Messiah. No one is indispensable. It is much like a father letting go of the bike to allow his son to ride it alone; a coach withdrawing to the sidelines to give his players free rein to unleash their talents.

       Absence then is but another form of enabling presence. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you discovered that art of absence as an enabling presence?

 

Enable me, O Lord! Deliver me from exaggerated fear of absent people in my life. Deliver me from the vanity of exaggerated importance for my presence. Amen.

 

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