Daily Bible Reflections
for April 22, 2017
;

Dear Friend,

This Saturday, follow the Spirit of God leading you.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



22
April
Saturday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

BOLDNESS FOR
CHRIST
 

“It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” – Acts 4:20

 

          I’ve learned that when we try to know Christ deeper, we eventually find ourselves discovering who He really is. He cured the sick, He performed miracles, He loved the lost, and most of all, He sacrificed His life to save mankind.

       Now, try to imagine yourself being friends with a superhero like Jesus. It would be really hard not to passionately talk about him, right? That’s why Peter and John said, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”

         The boldness of Peter and John in the First Reading is something we need to imitate as we journey in getting to know Christ. Not only does He deserve all the praise and glory for everything He is and what He has done, but most importantly, because the world needs to know Christ.

           Let’s pray for the same boldness Peter and John had. Even though they were perceived as uneducated and ordinary men, they didn’t miss out on the chance to spread the word about God’s goodness. Erika Mendoza (epaulmendoza@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: Grab every opportunity to share your encounters with Christ.

 

Lord, teach me to be bold just like Peter and John.

 

St. Adalbert of Prague, pray for us.

 

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COMPANION

 

1ST READING
 

Peter and John could not help but preach the Gospel of Jesus and were honest about it with the Jewish authorities. They had the same experience as Amos, the shepherd boy from the South sent to prophesy in the North. Amos said that the Word of God was so strongly placed in his heart that he had to proclaim it. Peter and John would have said the same about their experience of the Gospel.

 
Acts 4:13-21

13 Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. 14 Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply. 15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred with one another, saying, 16 “What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it maynot be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. 20 It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.

 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 118:1, 14-15, 16-18, 19-21

R: I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 14 My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. 15 The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just. (R) 16 “The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord has struck with power.” 17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. 18 Though the Lord has indeed chastised me, yet he has not delivered me to death. (R) 19 Open to me the gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the just shall enter it. 21 I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior. (R)

 
 
GOSPEL
 

Today’s Gospel allows us to conclude it with our own story of the revelation of Jesus. The tomb is empty. Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to those who opened their hearts and minds to Him. Let us contribute to the ending of the Gospel by sharing our personal encounters with Jesus and our conversion experiences.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

 
Mark 16:9-15

9 When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. 13 They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either. 14 But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. 15 He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

 
 

think: To whom is Jesus sending you with His message?

 
 
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Read the Bible in one year Numbers 4-6

 

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

 

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

 

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SABBATH

 

BOLDLY PROCLAIM

 

The report of Mark is laconic, to say the least. He focused on the essentials and did not expound on the peripherals. Curiously though, Mark repeated this twice: “They did not believe.”

       Believing is a noble and free act, a choice and a decision made by someone in the face of truth. The presence of truth, though compelling, never forces a free person to declare assent. The mystery of human freedom always presupposes that the final decision to acquiesce to the truth resides on the person, not on objective truth.

       The truth about the man who had been cured stared the leaders, elders and scribes in the face. The truth, though compelling, never hit home in the hearts unwilling to let go of their pre-established truth. Why, those who proclaimed boldly were no more than “uneducated and ordinary men!”

        But truth so limpid, so clear, so compelling and so objective, can sometimes  get a beating from men of power who have the means to cover it up or confuse it. They all agreed, in their fear of the same truth, to “give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name.”

       But truth can only be silenced temporarily. Take it from St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, the young Mexican boy who, in spite of the pain and imminent death, could not be prevented from shouting: “Viva Cristo Rey!”

       Take it, too, from Blessed Laura Vicuña who, in her young age, offered her life for the conversion of her own mother. San Lorenzo Ruiz’s life was going to be snuffed out together with his companions. He faced death with courage and faith and proclaimed: “If I had a thousand lives, I would willingly offer them all to the Lord.”

       Mary of Magdala had no authority as a woman. She proclaimed the truth even if no one believed her. The two disciples, too, were powerless.

       The uneducated and ordinary men were not taken seriously by the leaders and elders. When told to cease and desist, they all the more insisted: “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

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

Do you persevere in speaking about Jesus even in the midst of doubt and unbelief from others? 

Jesus, fill us to overflowing with Your courage and grace, that we, like the disciples before us, may find it “impossible... not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” Amen.

 

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