Daily Bible Reflections
for June 13, 2018
;

Dear Friend,

See Him beside you this whole Wednesday!

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



13
June
Wednesday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

LAWS OF LOVE

But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 5:19

Last year, I had a vacation in Singapore with my fianceĢ. We stayed at my cousin’s house at the heart of the city. It was a blessing to be there. Singapore is a rich country with modern transportation systems, clean streets, and disciplined drivers, with minimal to almost no air pollution. When I asked my cousin’s husband, a local Singaporean, about the secret for the success of their country, he answered, “It’s our strict rules and regulations.”

Rules — we either follow them or break them.

Indeed, rules are necessary to promote discipline and order.

Even Jesus is a supporter of the rules and laws of the land as mentioned in the readings today. In the same breath, we must also remember that there is a higher law — the law of the Lord our God. The  first and greatest commandment of all is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). I truly believe that this great commandment is not about God being conceited. Rather, He desires for us to have a full and peaceful life, a life away from sin. His laws are there to protect, guide, and love us. May we always choose to reciprocate God’s love by obeying His law. Erika Mendoza (epaulmendoza@gmail.com)

Reflect: Love Him = Obey Him.


Lord, I submit myself to Your laws of love. I understand that it’s for my 
good. Thank You for Your loving protection.

St. Anthony of Padua, priest and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

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COMPANION

1st READING

It would have been a spectacle to behold – Elijah versus the 450 prophets of Baal. God, in His faithfulness, answered Elijah’s prayer and showed the people His might and power. Because he trusted God completely, Elijah even taunted his adversaries and said that maybe their god was too busy and did not hear them. And indeed, Elijah emerged victorious.

1 Kings 18:20-39

20 Ahab sent to all the children of Israel and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah appealed to all the people and said, “How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” The people, however, did not answer him. 22 So Elijah said to the people, “I am the only surviving prophet of the Lord, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. 23 Give us two young bulls. Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood, but start no fire. I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood, but shall start no fire. 24 You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the Lord. The God who answers with fire is God.” All the people answered, “Agreed!” 25 Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one young bull and prepare it first, for there are more of you. Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.” 26 Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no sound, and no one answering. And they hopped around the altar they had prepared. 27 When it was noon, Elijah taunted them: “Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating, or may have retired, or may be on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until blood gushed over them. 29 Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state until the time for offering sacrifice. But there was not a sound; no one answered, and no one was listening. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been destroyed. 31 He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Lord had said, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 He built an altar in honor of the Lord with the stones, and made a trench around the altar large enough for two measures of grain. 33 When he had arranged the wood, he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood. 34 “Fill four jars with water,” he said, “and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.” “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar, and the trench was filled with the water. 36 At the time for offering sacrifice, the prophet Elijah came forward and said, “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things by your command. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me, that this people may know that you, Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to their senses.” 38 The Lord’s fire came down and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench. 39 Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”

P S A L M 

Psalm 16:1-2, 4, 5, 8, 11

R: Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

1 Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; 2 I say to the Lord, “My Lord are you.” (R) 4 They multiply their sorrows who court other gods. Blood libations to them I will not pour out, nor will I take their names upon my lips. (R) 5 O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. 8 I set the Lord ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) 11 You will show me the path to life, fullness of joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (R)

 

 

GOSPEL 

Jesus claims that He has come to fulfill the law and not to abolish it. There is a huge difference between these actions, a difference that we need to distinguish as His disciples. Jesus has won victory over sin, as Elijah has won over the prophets of Baal. This is the Good News. May we surrender to the Lord and share in His victory.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Teach me your paths, my God, and guide me in your truth.

Matthew 5:17-19

17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” 

think: Which among God’s commandments do you find difficult to obey? Why?

______________________________  

______________________________  

______________________________   

 

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST 

thank You, Lord, for: 

____________________

 

Read the Bible in one year Judith 13-16 

 

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SABBATH

NOT ONLY BIBLE-BASED 

After celebrating the Eucharist for one of my friends who just lost her mother, I dined with them. I discovered that although my friend and her husband are very good Catholics, a good number of their children — products of well-known Catholic universities and colleges — have crossed over to Christian fellowship groups. I asked what attracted them to such fellowship services, and they said, “We find the Word alive in their worship.”

Indeed, for a number of young people who have a lot of questions about life and its meaning, the so-called “Bible-based” lengthy teaching cum exhortation in fellowship groups seems very attractive. This is also because the pastors in these groups reflect on the Word of God with very practical applications: “Steps to Happiness,” “Christian Attitudes at Work,” etc.

Probably there can be no people more exacting about the Word of God in Scriptures than the Jews of Jesus’ time. The Pharisees and scribes spent their lives putting “hedges” around the dos and don’ts that the Law and Tradition of Moses transmitted to them. Jesus, however, underlines that the Word of God and the observance of it is not an end in itself.

“Bible-based” Christians often blame Catholics for being too tied up with rites and rituals. However, these Christians may begin to unconsciously hang on the written Word of Scriptures as “relics” that they begin to absolutize.

The Word of God is a guide — a pedagogue. It is meant to make us receptive to the inspiration of the Spirit. It is with the Spirit that we are able to live what the Bible says in a righteous way that is not slavish but heartfelt. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS -------

Make this a part of your morning prayer: Invoke the Spirit to be your guide and teacher in your prayers, in your livelihood, in your ministry. Ask the Spirit to always make you young, open, malleable, teachable, and enthusiastic for newness.

Holy Spirit, be my guide and teacher. Keep me young, open, malleable, and enthusiastic. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________

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