Reflections of Faith
Read and be inspired by a reflection based on today's Gospel made by members of the Verbum Dei Family in Manila.
4/20/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 20, 2018April 20, 2018 Friday
Gospel John 6: 52-59 ”Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”In today's gospel Jesus says that His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink, whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood remains in Him and He in them.
By giving Himself to us as food, Jesus desires to become one with us and at the same time, He gives us a way to show our desire to be one with Him--by receiving Him in our heart and body in the form of food, the bread and wine. Jesus wants to be fully united with us as He gives His body and blood for us. The Eucharist is not just remembering what Jesus did, it is also the source of our strength to do what He has done. It is a call for us to share our lives, to give ourselves and to become in some way the body and blood of Christ for others--that seeing and listening to us they may see and listen to Him.
4/19/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 19, 2018April 19, 2018 Thursday
Gospel John 6: 44-51 ”The bread I shall give is my flesh, and I will give it for the life of the world. “In today's gospel, Jesus declares that He is the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that He will give is His flesh for the life of the world. (cf. Jn 6:51)
The Eucharist is the loving gift of Jesus through which we remember his Death and Resurrection. When we partake with the Eucharist in the Holy Communion, Jesus feeds us with His body and blood becoming fully present to us through the bread and wine. But the Eucharist is not meant to be just something that we receive, it must become a way of life for us as Jesus Himself gives His life for the world. In the Gospel, Jesus invites us also to be the bread for the world that could be broken and shared for others so they would also have life.
4/18/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 18, 2018April 18, 2018 Wednesday
Gospel John 6:35-40 ”I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty.”In today's gospel Jesus foretold a marvel when he claimed that He is the bread of life: whoever comes to Him shall never be hungry and whoever believes in Him shall never be thirsty (cf John 6: 35).
Jesus meant His words. At the last supper the night before he died, he held bread in his hands and said to his friends "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me (cf 1Cor 11:24) Ever since then, we come together to share a meal and be fed with a bread and wine that is Jesus himself. Are we aware that we receive Jesus every time we take the Eucharist in the Holy Communion? The bread that God gives us in the Eucharist is not a temporary food to satisfy our stomach but to satisfy our soul.. In receiving the Eucharist, we receive Jesus and enter into communion with Him. Through the Eucharist, Jesus becomes the bread of life offered to give us eternal life.
4/17/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 Tuesday
Gospel: John 6: 30-35 What sign do we need for us to believe?In today's gospel, people ask Jesus to perform a miraculous sign so that they may see and believe. It is something that even after experiencing the saving power of God towards their history and after waiting for thousand years, they did not accept the Messiah that God sent them.
In our personal lives there are also moments that we seek and ask the Lord to give us a sign to see His miraculous ways before we believe in Him. Jesus in today's Gospel, invites us to believe in Him, the one whom God has sent. If we only knew him deeper, we would understand that we need no more sign than him.
4/16/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 16, 2018April 16, 2018 Monday
Gospel John 6:22-29 Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life.It is necessary for us to persevere for our material needs. Of course, we need to eat, to drink and to wear clothes in order for us to live in our daily lives, but are we also persevering to gain eternal life?
In today's Gospel, Jesus told the people to work for the "lasting food" which gives eternal life. And this lasting food in the Gospel refers to Jesus Himself - the bread of life. Believing in Jesus and in His word would mean salvation for us. Our lives were not only meant for survival, we are meant to be saved by the Christ - by Jesus Himself. Jesus invites us to be faithful in Him, the one whom God has sent to save us and lead us to eternal life.
4/15/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 15, 2018April 15, 2018/ Sunday Gospel: Lk 24:35-48 “Peace be with you”Just like the two disciples, do we doubt Jesus’ presence because we do not see Him physically? How and where do you see Him?
The two disciples were more focused on His death, rather than His Rising. Like us, when overcome with emotions and blinded by rage, or negative thoughts, we fail to see Jesus in what’s happening in the world around us. Shackled by anger and hatred? Do we feel the hopelessness rather than the hope? Let us allow Jesus teach us to recognize him, let us open our hearts even in the worst situations. Read the scriptures to know Him more, so the ups and downs of our journey are cushioned, and the humps and detours are easier to handle.
4/14/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 14, 2018April 14, 2018/ Saturday Gospel: Jn 6:16-21 ”It is I, don’t be afraid.”When we are confronted by turbulence and trials, Jesus comes to us to strengthen our faith and draw us nearer to Him. As long as we are here on earth, we will have our never-ending trials to undertake, one after another, like riding a roller-coaster. That’s why we need an anchor to hold onto, as we plunge into the valley of despair, and ride up to seek for Christ’s light.
We come out of these trials with more resolve, purified and more humbled as we feel God’s love. We seek our Mother’s hand in ours, seek comfort in her closeness, knowing that the Lord will listen to His Mother to answer our pleas. We are forged through whatever challenges we find on our way.
4/13/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 13, 2018April 13, 2018/ Friday Gospel: Jn 6:1-15 ”How are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?”It only means that we do whatever we can, even if it is little. Our Lord multiplies it a thousandfold. Sometimes Jesus makes us see how big the problem is, and how little we can do to resolve it. We are tested on where we place our trust: will it be on Him, or on our own efforts?
He still wants to see how much effort we exert and how we act during trying times. Passivity is also not for Him; he wants us to take action too. And not be overtaken by fear, doubt and negativity. Do your sowing now, don’t put it off til later. He blesses our efforts and multiplies them. Fully depending on God is certainly tempting Him; do your 100%, and God will give His 100%.
4/12/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 12, 2018April 12, 2018/ Thursday Gospel: Jn 3:31-36 “He who comes from above is above all...”All earthly existence has to be directed by God. It is our obligation to exercise a critical role in our institutions, and communities to correspond with Christian morality. We would normally obey the law, but when it is not moral anymore, we act according to our conscience.
We therefore aspire for consistency and unity in our beliefs and values. Our faith provides us with the guidance and firmness as we integrate these Christian beliefs into our daily lives. When given a choice, how do we decide? What will we be our criteria for making a decision? Without thinking, we know where we stand, always on the right. When called for, we make heroic decisions, even on little things. We stand for what we believe in, on where our convictions lie, based on Divine law.
4/11/2018
Daily Guidelines: April 11, 2018April 11, 2018/ Wednesday Gospel: Jn 3:16-21 ”Whoever lives in the truth, lives in the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.”When we sin, we hide in darkness. When we lie, we hide behind a facade, a fake front; we cover up lie after lie after lie. But once we experience conversion, as we emerge from the darkness, we are able to speak the truth with courage. By being one with the Lord, we walk in the light.
Conversion starts perhaps as a restlessness, or tickling of the conscience. It may be a yearning for more peace, or for more clarity in life’s meaning or purpose. As we continue to search, God works on our actuations and motivations, making these more aligned to His plan. We pray that we find holiness in the midst of earthly realities. |
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