Daily Bible Reflections
for September 4, 2022
;

Dear Friend,

This Sunday, remember that you are hidden in His heart.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez



4
September
Sunday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

HAPPY REUNIONS
Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever. – Philemon 15

In 1958, Karen and Dennis Vinar met in high school and fell in love. They had a baby, but since they were too young, their parents didn’t approve of them being together. They gave up their baby for adoption.

Dennis joined the army while Karen went off to college. For 50 years, they lived separate lives without communicating. On October 25, 2014, Dennis joined LinkedIn and searched for Karen Lehmann online. The first thing he asked her was her relationship status and was delighted to learn that they were both single: Karen, a widow, and Dennis, divorced. They met again and the high school sweethearts got married in January 2015. Together, they searched for the daughter they gave up for adoption. By God’s grace, they located her. Jean was already 55 when they got reunited in hugs and in tears.

It’s a beautiful true story about how God can make a way in seemingly impossible circumstances. God is also the God of surprises and happy reunions. After all, He is the source and author of love. Marjorie Duterte (writersretreatph@gmail.com)


reflect

Have you lost someone in the past that you would like to meet again? Ask God to bring you back together if it’s for the best. Maybe you’ll meet again in this life or happily in the next.

Dear Father, thank You for working all things for our good. Amen.


Saint Rosalia, pray for us.

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COMPANION

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading | Wisdom 9:13-18

The mind and wisdom of God is, generally speaking, beyond our comprehension when reduced to the minutiae. However, the general thrust is quite simple—proclaim the Gospel at every opportunity and form disciples of Jesus. The rest will take care of itself, which is another way of saying that it is in the Lord’s hands, not ours.

13 Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what our Lord intends? 14 For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. 15 For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. 16 And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven who can search them out? 17 Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? 18 And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.


Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17

R: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

3 You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 5 You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, 6 which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R) 14 Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. 17 And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! (R)


Second Reading | Philemon 9-10, 12-17

Paul is returning Onesimus to Philemon. He would like Philemon to release Onesimus from any form of service because he has proved to be a valuable companion and aid in the work of the Gospel. Slavery is no longer a legitimate form of employment—it demeans the dignity of the individual. Let us treat one another with the dignity. Let us never allow slavery or child labor to exist in our societies.

9 I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus. 10 I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment; 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. 15 Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. 17 So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.


Gospel | Luke 14:25-33

Jesus demands that we live simple lives in witness to the fact that God’s love is enough to sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage. We need to be detached from the things of the world if we want to be His disciples. Yes, we can own and use the things around us, but we must always maintain an air of detachment from them. That is, we will use them while they are useful to us and we will pass them on to others when our use is completed.

Gospel Acclamation

Let your face shine upon your servant; and teach me your laws.

25 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, 26 “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? 29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him 30 and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ 31 Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? 32 But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. 33 In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”


Reflect:
“To come to Christ costs you nothing, to follow Christ costs you something, to serve Christ will cost you everything.” (M.R. DeHaan)

Read the Bible in one year! Read ISAIAH 57 - 60 today.

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SABBATH

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Cost of Discipleship

Today’s Gospel begins with an observation we can easily dismiss as an unimportant detail: “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus . . .” He was beginning to attract curiosity. He was the “new kid in town.”

I wonder what the Apostles were thinking as hordes of adoring fans welcomed their entourage with adoration wherever they went. Today’s Gospel passage is titled “The Cost of Being a Disciple.” I doubt if the disciples saw things that way. Perhaps they were dreaming of “The Perks of Being a Disciple.”

Could this be the reason why Jesus, in the midst of all the frenzy, immediately burst their bubble and “turning to them said, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’” Jesus’ last remark is even more devastating, “Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Being a follower of Jesus will cost them their profession, their property, their loves, and even their lives. Jesus called these fishermen to trade their boats not for a cruise but for a cross.

Friends, if we strive for greatness, we must be ready to stake being safe, sound, and secure. As the well-known cliché goes, boats are safe and secure in the harbor, but boats are not meant to stay on the shore. Boats are meant for the treacherous open seas.

Are you ready to sail the treacherous open sea of Christian discipleship? It will cost you. It will mean giving up the seductive pleasures of life. It will mean dying to yourself and offering your life in service to others. It will mean standing up for the unpopular truth.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once challenged the dwindling Christian population of Europe: “Take up the cross of Christian witness. Christ calls you not to convenience. Christ calls you to greatness!” Fr. Joel O. Jason


reflection question

What illustrates your Christian life—a boat safe at harbor or one battling the open seas?

I am ready to sail. Be the captain of my ship, O Lord. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________

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