Daily Bible Reflections
for April 20, 2018
;

Dear Friend,

Offer your hardships and trials to the Lord this Friday.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



20
April
Friday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 HE IS REAL

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.” – John 6:56

I studied in a Catholic school until high school. We had several Mass celebrations every year, but for me, they were just rituals, something to replace our classes. I never really understood its depth and meaning, though in my heart I knew it was important. When I graduated from that school, I would sometimes skip Sunday Mass. I went as I pleased until the Lord touched my heart.

In 2004, I attended a Mass and listened to a talk about the meaning of the Holy Eucharist. The Lord spoke to my heart that day about how real He is in the Blessed Host. I also read about the Eucharistic miracles in the world.

The Lord is truly alive and real in the Holy Eucharist. I can say this, not just because I heard about it or read about it, but also because I have personally experienced Him at Holy Mass. As I kneel after receiving communion, He embraces me and speaks to my heart. As I receive Him, I remain in Him and He in me. Ma. Luisa Dela Cruz (theessence_byluisa@yahoo.com)

Reflect: “In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

Lord of my life, keep my love for You burning in my heart each time I receive You in the Eucharist. Amen.

St. Conrad of Parzham, pray for us.

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COMPANION

1st READING

The conversion of Saul and his renaming as Paul is a watershed moment in the life of the Church. Paul became a zealous disciple and servant of the community of the faithful. A persecutor turned proclaimer, his witness testifies to God’s transformative power. Not all conversions are as dramatic as Paul’s, but there are some in the history of the Church that had a profound effect in its life and mission.

Acts 9:1-20

1 Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. 3 On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. 9 For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. 10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, that he may regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel, 16 and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” 17 So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, 19 and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

P S A L M 

Psalm 117:1, 2

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (R) 

GOSPEL

Jesus compares His own gift of Bread (His Body in the Eucharist) with the manna given to the Israelites in the desert. He explains that what He gives is the Bread of life — those who share in the Eucharist receive eternal life and will never die. With the crowd, let us cry out, “Lord, give us this Bread always!”

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 

Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood, remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.

John 6:52-59

52 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 59 These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

think: “In participating in the Eucharist, in nourishing ourselves on the flesh and blood of the Son of God, we unite our prayer to that of the paschal Lamb on His last night, so that our lives might not be lost, despite our weakness and infidelity, but might be transformed.” – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI 

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Read the Bible in one year 2 Samuel 9-12

 

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

 

thank You, Lord, for: ___________________

 

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SABBATH

 SPEECH POWER

“How can this man give us His  flesh to eat?” argued Jesus’ audience after declaring that His body is real food and His blood, real drink. It’s simple. He is God.

The world was created simply by an utterance from the divine lips. In the first book of Genesis, we read that God simply declared, “Let there be light...” and there was light (see Genesis 1:3). God’s simple declaration transformed a vast void and emptiness into a world pulsating with a web of intricate beauty and harmony. God’s simple utterance transformed chaos into cosmos.

God’s word is creative, not only descriptive. It creates what it declares. When Jesus declared, “ This is My Body... this is My Blood,” it is the same world-creating word that transforms bread and wine into His Body and Blood. If God’s Word created the world out of nothing, what problem would it pose to Him to make Himself really present in the elements of bread and wine?

We are created in God’s image and likeness. Our words share in His creative power. Our daily experiences bear this out. Affirm another with kind words and you can see those words create a smile on his face as well as in his heart. St. John Crysostom was known as the “man with the golden tongue” because his words were always persuasive and edifying.

Human words are not only a cacophony of sounds and letters put together. The poems we recite and the songs that we sing point to a whole body of human world we collectively call culture, literature, ethos.

We are God’s image and likeness not only because we are persons with intellect and free will like God. We mirror God’s image and likeness in the world when we use our speech to build, encourage, and inspire. Fr. Joel O. Jason

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

One lie has the power to tarnish a thousand truths. Do your words build or destroy?

May my lips always declare Your greatness, O Lord. Amen.


Today, I pray for: ____________________________________ 

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