Daily Bible Reflections
for April 10, 2017
;

Dear Friend,

Don't be discouraged! God will be with you through this week.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



10
April
Monday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 HOLY MONDAY

A MISSIONARY AT ONE
 

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit…  – Isaiah 42:1

 

       After seven search-ins and declining to be a religious missionary for the nth time, God spoke to my heart and whispered that He anointed me for His work. My initial reaction was, “Why me?”

       I don’t like to leave my comfort zone. I detest changes. I’m no Miss Congeniality. I distrust men. I prefer the background, instead of basking in klieg lights. I just want to write and teach children, not preach with my tongue. Wearing a blue habit doesn’t suit me because I know I’ll represent Christ in my littlest actions.

       After attending apologetics classes for over a year, God made me realize, through a lay apologist who taught the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Faith Explained, that by virtue of baptism, a baptized Christian is a missionary, whether we like it or not. We are anointed to partake in the kingly, priestly and prophetic duties of Christ. That’s why a Christian is called a “little Christ.”

       Now that I’m slowly learning to detach myself from mundane matters, denying and dying to myself every day, swallowing my pride, and embracing my daily crosses, I’m gradually accepting my calling as a missionary. Ems Sy Chan (leeannesy7@yahoo.com)

 

Reflection: Are you doing your duty as a missionary?

 

Thank You, Lord, for choosing me to be Your daughter, even before I became worthy to be called Your own.

 

St. Magdalen of Canossa, pray for us.

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COMPANION

 1ST READING

The Christian life will always involve suffering as we battle sin. We cannot avoid this – overcoming our own sin or the sins of others that affect us. To endure suffering in silence is difficult. Let us unite our suffering with that of Christ on the cross so that it will have redemptive value.

 
Isaiah 42:1-7

1 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, 2 not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, 4 until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with its crops, who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it: 6 I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 2 When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies themselves stumble and fall. (R) 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. (R)

 
GOSPEL
 
 

How well do you know yourself? Self-knowledge is important so that we will know the motives that surround our actions. Doing things that are questionable or sinful show that we fail to pray about and reflect on our life. We can correct this through daily prayer and recollection. As a wise philosopher once said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Hail to you, our King; you alone are compassionate with our faults.

 
John 12:1-11

1 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5 “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

 

think: If you gave a dinner in Jesus’ honor, who would you invite?

 
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Read the Bible in one year Exodus 34-36

 

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

 

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

 

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SABBATH

 

CONTRASTS AND CONSPIRACIES

 

Martha and Mary were a study in contrast. Divergent, but never dysfunctional, they had two contrasting approaches to serving the Lord, as best they could. Martha, as usual, moved around to assure that her guest is served dinner. Mary, ever the quintessential hostess, hardly moved around, but was just as taken up with keeping their guest feel as welcome as possible.

       Martha showed her love with her busy hands. Mary showed her affection with her expansive heart. Martha filled the whole house with the aroma of nourishing food. Mary filled their home with the scent of nurturing oil. One was preoccupied with legitimate material concerns of the moment; the other was focused on the center of attention and concern for the other hardly mentioned — the equally present rubber-neckers and eavesdroppers who provided another angle to the story — this time around, dealing not with contrasts, but with conspiracies.

       Yes, Judas was there. Yes, there was a large crowd, and clearly, the crowds were in search, not necessarily for the products of Martha’s culinary arts, nor to catch a wisp of the pleasant perfume of Mary, but for a chance to put down the Lord. Judas’s feigned displeasure at the useless expense was, of course, easy to spot in the growing drama. He was getting too interested about money and where it could possibly come from, and how best it should be put to use, and where or to whom it should go. He muttered something that surely provided stark contrast to the profligacy and seeming wastage committed by Mary.

       But today, Holy Monday, I am not too worried about the seeming contrasts between the two sisters. My thoughts are focused more on the “chief priests” who conspired quietly but with deadly calculations and cold-blooded manipulations. Why, they even plotted to kill Lazarus all over again!

       The two sisters’ contrasting ways are OK by me. Judas’s actions do not surprise me. But the plotting of evil men is what confounds me and convicts me. There but for the grace of God, I go. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

If Jesus were to visit your home today, how will you serve Him?

Jesus, may You always find my heart a worthy dwelling place. Amen.

 

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