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.
6/20/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 - Thursday
Matthew 6:7-15 “Our Father who art in heaven.....” The only prayer Jesus taught His disciples, a very simple complete perfect prayer. It is a prayer so simple yet it encompasses all of our needs. Sometimes when we pray, we feel we need to use so many elaborate words and repeat our requests over and over again. God invites us to bring our needs to Him simply and directly. God knows what we need before we ask. Let us meditate on the words, pray over it, and draw wisdom from it. Notice that the prayer does not only plead for our personal needs, and ask for forgiveness of our sins, but that of others too. Mama Mary, guide us that we may be faithful in our journey to God. #PrayVD
6/19/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 Wednesday
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 “When you pray, go into your inner room....” Another lesson in humility... Jesus says that when praying or giving alms, we need not announce these that others may know. Practicing our faith and doing good for others just to be seen and admired, is a trap that's so easy to fall into -- a source of pride at times. Only a heart that sees that it is loved by God will have in it gratitude that impels it to thank God in word and deed. True thankfulness is a prayer in itself, it impels us to share with others what God has shared with us. The good deeds will come naturally from deep inside, and what others see or don't see won't matter. Thank you, Lord, for your love, generosity and bountiful blessings. #PrayVD
6/18/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 18, 2019June 18, 2019 Tuesday
Matthew 5:43-48 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” It is easy for us to love those who are good to us, or those who we like, but those who are unkind to us or those who are difficult to deal with are the challenges thrown at us by Jesus: to love them so we can be perfect like our Father. He didn’t choose who He’ll love, He loved us all, no discrimination, no choosing, no biases, even though we have hurt Him so many times. These are I guess the most difficult commandments....to rise above our hurts and learn to forgive. Dear Lord, teach us, and guide us that we may be kept on track in our aspiration to be perfect and holy like you. #PrayVD
6/17/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 17, 2019June 17, 2019 Monday
Matthew 5:38-42 “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.....” “The Holy Spirit sometimes calls upon us to transcend the logic of fairness and simple justice for.others.” Fr. Jacques Philippe, The Eight Doors to the Kingdom: Meditations on the Beatitudes, p. 114. There is a lot of anger permeating our culture nowadays: name-calling, bullying, hotheadedness. We all need to learn about meekness and do away with vengeance. Meekness is the way to soften the hardness of hearts. It opens our hearts to God’s grace of healing, and it is only through prayer that all of these will happen. Let us ask Mama Mary, as the Immaculate Healer of Hearts to teach us to be meek and humble. #PrayVD
6/16/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 16, 2019June 16, 2019 Sunday
Gospel: Jn 16: 12 - 15 The spirit of the truth will guide you to all truth (Jn 16:13) Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. In our gospel, Jesus speaks of how powerful the Holy Spirit can be in our lives. It is true that the Holy Spirit speaks and guides with the truth that we are searching. We ask the spirit in times of need, confusion, anger, joy. The Holy Spirit leads us to the Father and Jesus because they are united as one. Mother Mary, we pray to continue to seek and cherish the constant times that the Holy Spirit stays with us, in every moment of our lives. #PrayVD
6/15/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 15, 2019June 15, 2019 Saturday
Gospel: Mt 5: 33-37 Let your “yes” mean “yes” and your “no” mean “no” (Mt 5:37) Have you been indecisive with your life choices? In today’s gospel, Jesus says that being firm with our responses should be practiced. Our “yes” should portray and come from our heart as a sincere “yes” while our “no” must be as firm as what are really feeling. Jesus teaches us how to be honest and truthful with our intentions. Mother Mary, we ask for the stability and firmness of our heart guided by our faith with Jesus. #PrayVD
6/14/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 14, 2019June 14, 2019 Friday
Gospel: Mt 5: 27 - 33 You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery” (Mt 5:27) In today’s gospel, Jesus declared the sixth commandment: You shall not commit adultery. Jesus is warning us today to be mindful of our intentions when we look at other people. Jesus tells us to remove the source and causes of how we commit our sins. Mother Mary, we pray that through constant dialogue with Jesus we may remove completely the source that causes us to commit sins. #PrayVD
6/13/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 13, 2019June 13, 2019 Thursday
Gospel: Mt 5:20-26 Leave your gift in front of the altar (Mt 5:24) We all encounter conflict with other people in different moments of our lives. In today’s gospel, Jesus gives an example on how to resolve the conflicts we have with other people. Leave our gifts in front of the altar. Let go and offer it to Jesus. Be open with the heavy things we are carrying and accept reconciliation with the one we are against. Mother Mary, we pray that we may allow Jesus to bless our hearts with forgiveness and renewal. #PrayVD
6/12/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 12, 2019June 12, 2019 Wednesday
Gospel: Mt 5: 17- 19 But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:19) Total obedience is what Jesus is telling us today. In our gospel, Jesus told his disciples that he did not want to abolish the law of the prophets instead he wants to fulfill it. Through our obedience, Jesus does not disregard our free will but instead he respects it and leads it to make us reach our greatest potential. Let us pray for our own struggles that we may be able to overcome it by obeying and teaching the commandments to others. Mother Mary, we pray for our total obedience to the Father. #PrayVD
6/11/2019
Daily Guidelines: June 11, 2019June 11, 2019 Tuesday
Gospel: Mt 5: 3-16 Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father (Mt 5:16) In today’s gospel, Jesus inspires us to seek humility in the good things that we do. He wants us to be a bearer of the light that will be the source of hope of the people surrounding us: family, friends, colleagues and community. Through our own light, people can know Jesus and be closer to Him than before. Mother Mary, we pray that the light within us will continue to be on fire. #PrayVD |
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August 2021
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