Daily Bible Reflections
for April 18, 2018
;

Dear Friend,

His light is shining on you this Wednesday.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



18
April
Wednesday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

SEE THE GOOD

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. – Acts 8:4

           Upon the strong recommendation of a friend, I watched Silence, a movie that stars Liam Neeson. I was delighted to  find that it was about Jesuit missionaries in Japan during the 17th century. What I couldn’t take was the persecution and torture they went through to bring the Gospel to a pagan country.

           I have to admit I didn’t finish the movie. I just found it too painful to watch. Why would God allow His faithful servants to go through that kind of torture and death? Why didn’t He hear their prayers? Would He do the same to me under those conditions? My unfinished movie brought more questions than answers.

            Then I was reminded of the times I’ve attended Mass in Japan whenever I visit. I recall the beautiful church and chapels I’ve been to. I remember the fervent prayers the faithful uttered. And I understood. Indeed, the blood of martyrs became the seed of the Catholic Church in the Land of the Rising Sun.

              In our reading today, persecution dispersed the believers. They had to leave their homes and loved ones to escape punishment for their faith. But Scripture also tells us how the Lord used this seemingly negative event to bring the Good News to more people. Do we see the good in every circumstance? Rissa Singson Kawpeng (justbreatherissa@gmail.com)

Reflect: “Perhaps the gravest under-publicized atrocity in the world is the persecution of Christians.” (Conrad Black)

Lord, help me to see Your purpose in my suffering.

Blessed James Oldo, pray for us. 

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COMPANION


1st READING  

The early Christians fled from the persecution in Jerusalem and were scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Even though they suffered and were uprooted from their homeland, the Christians still persevered in proclaiming the Gospel. Let us pray for strength and commitment to respond to God’s calling today.

Acts 8:1-8

1 There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. 3 Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. 4 Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. 6 With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. 8 There was great joy in that city.

P S A L M 

Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7

R: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, 2 sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. 3 Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds! (R) 4 Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name! 5 Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. (R) 6 He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore let us rejoice in him. 7 He rules by his might forever. (R) 

GOSPEL 

It is the Father’s will that all of us be saved. He gives us the grace to overcome whatever diffculties we have in life. It is challenging to be a disciple of Jesus. However, we can be confident that His grace will see us through.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 

Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day, says the Lord.

John 6:35-40

35 Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. 36 But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, 38 because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

think: Do you look forward to rising with Jesus on the last day? How are you preparing for this?

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Read the Bible in one year 2 Samuel 1-4

 
T O D A Y ‘ S BLESSING LIST
 

thank You, Lord, for: _______________

 

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SABBATH

CONVICTED, CONVICTION

Jesus assured His audience in today’s Gospel: “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (v. 35). But then he added a lament: “But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe” (v. 36).

Conversion is a curious thing. What is it that brings about a 180-degree turnaround in one’s life?

In today’s First Reading, the life of Saul, later on to be called Paul after his conversion, offers us a clue. Saul was a murderer of Christians. He hated them with a passion. We see in the First Reading that “Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison” (Acts 8:3, NIV).

But then something happened. In the next chapter, while on the road to Damascus on his way to persecute Christians, a bright light threw him to the ground, and he heard a voice declaring, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4, NIV). Surprised, he asked to whom the voice belonged. In response, he heard, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5, NIV). Saul was a different man after that encounter.

It was not clear if Saul actually saw the Risen Jesus. But what’s clear is this: Conversion is not a product of vision but conviction. Jesus Himself said in the Gospel, “You have seen Me and still you do not believe.”

The dictionary defines conviction as “a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law.” Secondly, it says, “a  firmly held belief or opinion.” Conviction therefore means two things: an acceptance of one’s fault, and a commitment to undo one’s error.

This explains the 180-degree change from Saul, the persecutor of Christians, to Paul, the missionary of Christ. He was convicted of his error in persecuting Christians and this led to his conviction to give his life for Christianity’s sake. Fr. Joel O. Jason

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

Are you hoping for a conversion? Do not ask for a vision. Ask rather for the humility to be convicted of your error and build on a conviction to be a better version of yourself.

“I was once lost, but now am found... was blind but now I see.” Amen.
Today, I pray for: _________________________________

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