Daily Bible Reflections
for December 8, 2016
;

Dear Friend,

Follow Him all the way this Thursday.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



8
December
Thursday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
 
CHANGED FOREVER
 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. – Ephesians 1:3-4

 

       When my future husband and I attended our wedding preparation seminar, we were introduced to a couple who were absolutely smitten with each other even after 30 years of marriage. The man recounted that prior to getting married, his lifestyle centered around alcohol, women and parties. So when he and his wife finally married, settling down was an adjustment.

       Within less than a year of marriage, he succumbed to his urges and slept with another woman. He never told his wife, but for the next five years, his wife took care of him. She bore him beautiful children. Every night, he came home to a happy family that reflected his wife’s love and respect.

       Realizing his fortune, he was consumed with guilt and confessed his transgression and regret to his wife. He was shocked that she wasn’t angry. She cried but almost instantly forgave him. That moment changed him forever.

     Such is God’s road map to cleansing us from our sins. When we appreciate our blessings, we experience true repentance of the heart, and in that sincerity, we are forgiven and renewed. Eleanore Teo (elyo.lee@gmail.com)

 

Reflection:What blessings helped change your life for the better?

 

Father, heal me from my sins and renew my spirit with Your forgiveness.

 
Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us.

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COMPANION

 

1ST READING
 
 

From the beginning of Creation, God knew He needed to intervene in the life of humanity. He had to redeem us from our rebellion and sin. Sin corrupts our relationships with God and one another. Even our relationship with creation was disrupted as we can see how work and childbirth become painful experiences. Let us recognize the price that God paid in sending His Son as our Savior and imitate His life.

 
Genesis 3:9-15, 20

9 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” 12 The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” 13 The Lord God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” 14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” 20 The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

 

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) 2 The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R)

 
2ND READING
 

This is a wonderful truth to reflect on — we have been chosen from the beginning of the world and adopted by our Father through Jesus Christ. Let us allow its essence to reach deep within and transform us. The most important aspects of conversion take place here. Let us give the Holy Spirit the time and space to do His work in our lives.

 
 Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

3 Brothers and sisters: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, 4 as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love 5 he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, 6 for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. 11 In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, 12 so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

 
GOSPEL
 

It must have been difficult for Mary to accept the promise that she will be the mother of the Son of God. By God’s grace, she accepts this  tremendous responsibility and privilege. She becomes the first disciple of Jesus and remains the best example of a follower of Christ. Let us read about her life in the Scriptures and learn from her.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.

 
Luke 1:26-38

26 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

 

think: Let us recognize the price that God paid in sending His Son as our Savior and imitate His life.

 
 
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  Proverbs 17-20

 

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SABBATH

 

AVE MARIA

 

It is a happy coincidence brought about by limitations of the human calendar and reckoning of time that, as we prepare to commemorate the birth of Jesus with the Advent season, we also have within this season the liturgical feast to celebrate the conception of Mary, Mother of Jesus, in the womb of her holy mother whom Church tradition identifies as St. Anne, wife of St. Joachim. This calculation of the date of the conception of Mary by St. Anne is based on the feast of the birth of the Blessed Mother celebrated every September 8.

       The Church defines as a dogma of faith what Christians have long believed about the Blessed Mother Mary: that she is conceived without any stain of sin, without even the stain of the inherited sin of the human race from the disobedience of Adam and Eve.

       Theologians of the Church, particularly the Franciscan Dans Scotus, sustain that this is brought about by God’s power and prerogative. Nothing is impossible with God. He can do it — and He did it. God did this in anticipation of the merits of the saving act of Jesus who would become “Word-made-Flesh” in the womb of Mary. The Gospel then speaks of Mary not simply as one filled with grace, but as one “full of grace” (Greek: “kecharitomene”). Mary’s whole being is so “full of grace” from God that there is no space for sin.

        How apt, therefore, that we often salute Mary with the traditional word “Ave” (translated in English as “Hail”). It is pointed out that this word is the reverse of the name of the first woman, “Eva.” If “Eva” brought disgrace to the human race by her disobedience, Mary is, in contrast, the great honor of humanity. Mary cooperated and acted well on the grace of God bestowed on her by her unconditional obedience to all that God wanted out of her. While “Eva” entertained the insinuations and questionings of the serpent, the “Ave” — even in the midst of God’s mysterious designs — had only one answer: “Let it be done to me according to your Word.” Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Mary shows us the other side of humanity — we are graced by God. How can you live more and more victoriously in the power of God’s grace?

 

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

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