Daily Bible Reflections
for January 7, 2018
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Dear Friend,

Each Sunday is a Mini-Easter. Show that Jesus is alive today!

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



7
January
Sunday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

Solemnity of the Epiphany

of the Lord
 
THE STAR
 

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. – Matthew 2:10-11

 

       When I was starting out in the ministry, I had a funny problem. I felt that I was torn between being happy with my accomplishments and being too proud of them. Whenever people would say, “Your preaching was very good!” or “I love your voice!” I would shut out the happiness in me and pretend to be humble by saying, “Thank you, but it really wasn’t that good,” or, “Tsamba lang yun! (I just was lucky!)”

       But a good mentor, Obet Cabrillas, told me something that stuck: “When you do something good, the joy belongs to you, but the glory belongs to God!” The Magi in the Gospel reminded me of this. They were overjoyed because they reached the star, but they reserved their praise for Jesus alone.

       I realized that with each achievement, God wants us to be happy. Sometimes it’s easy to confuse the “star” for the Star — the source and reason for the celebration: Jesus Christ. Just like the Magi, let’s be happy with our achievements, but let’s remember that they are just arrows to point us to a God who always wants the best for us! Migs Ramirez (emiguelframirez@gmail.com)

 

Reflect: What achievements in your life pointed you to Jesus?

 

Mary, thank you for being a star that always points me to Jesus. Please ask your Son to give me the grace of humility and joy, so that I may see Him in the highs and lows of my life. Amen.

St. Raymond of Peñafort, priest, pray for us.

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COMPANION

 

1ST READING
 

Today is the Feast of Light and we celebrate the light of truth that revealed to us the identity of Jesus as the Messiah – the Christ Child sent to redeem us. Isaiah writes about people who traveled from afar and converged on a source of the light. Jesus is the light of truth. From Him we will learn about the truth of our redemption. Let us always choose to come to Jesus, the source of light and truth.

 
Isaiah 60:1-6

1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory. 3 Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. 4 Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. 5 Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. 6 Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.

 
P S A L M        
 
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) 7 Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. (R) 10 The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. 11 All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. (R) 12 For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. (R)

 
2nd READING
 

We do not discuss much about stewardship of the grace of God. Stewardship at any level is often a source of contention. It seems that the things for public use get broken as no one looks after them properly. We are all stewards of God’s grace. Let us remember to take this stewardship seriously because on judgment day, we will give an account about how we have responded to His grace.

 
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6

2 Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. 5 It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and  prophets by the Spirit: 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

 
GOSPEL
 

The kings who travel to see Jesus symbolize the nations of the world. They are prophetic figures representing the truth that all men and women need to come to Jesus in order to be saved. The star that leads them to Jesus is our thirst for truth and redemption. If we follow these, we will always be led to Christ.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.

 
Matthew 2:1-12

1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 6 And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” 7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” 9 After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11 and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

 

think: Who or what is the “star” that leads you to Jesus?

 
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Read the Bible in one year Luke 19-21

 

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

 

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________

 

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SABBATH

 

A STAR TO THE REAL STAR

 

After Christmas a few years ago, while trying to recoup the lost sleep during the nine-day Simbang Gabi, the younger sister of my best friend from minor seminary called up, begging for a meeting. In fact, she was already near my parish when she called. The moment we met at the door, she burst into tears. It turned out that her husband was diagnosed with a rare disease before Christmas and was confined at that moment in the ICU. As I listened to her, I realized the source of her deep fears and sorrow: Their eldest sister was widowed a few years ago after her husband died of a rare disease, too. Myra was worried she would suffer the same fate. She told me how her mom advised her to see me. I thought, “Why me?” Then I realized how badly they needed prayers and guidance. But as I prayed for what to tell her, I also discerned that Myra wanted Jesus Christ. She was like the Magi from the East who came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him”(Matthew 2:2, NIV).

       Every day, people come to us asking for guidance, direction, help, or prayers — some not really for any problem but to find the “newborn King.” It takes a wise person to see the real Light and the Truth that would set us free from our worries and fears. Don’t we find it ironic that, like the people of that time, we also fail to see or even appreciate the Child Jesus born in our midst? That like Herod, we are concerned more in guarding our turfs?

       Let us take into our hearts St. Paul’s words: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6, NIV). We are the manifestation of His birth, of His coming, and of His presence in this world. We are His manifestation to others. Do people find us as the star pointing to the real Star — Jesus Christ? Fr. Nick Lalog

 

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

How have you been leading others to Jesus?

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for making us shine so bright that others see us as a star leading to You, the true Star in this life. May Your Holy Spirit always enlighten us to seek You daily. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________________

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