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.
8/21/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 21, 2019August 21, 2019 - Wednesday
Mt 20:1-6 Why do you stand here idle all day? When we sometimes feel tired of our day-to-day responsibilities at home and at work, we may sometimes wish we weren’t doing anything at all. Today the Lord reminds us that our responsibilities and the mission we fulfill through them are blessings and gifts. He calls us away from idleness towards service through our responsibilities. In the end, he repays each of us according to his great generosity, and not in comparison to each other. Lord, bless us as we undertake our responsibilities in Your name! #PrayVD
8/20/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 - Tuesday
Mt 19:23-30 With God, all things are possible Let us recall today moments when we had to do something very difficult, almost impossible. Difficult for the rich young man meant giving up his worldly possessions. Difficult means different things to each of us but Jesus' message is the same: God makes the impossible possible. If we rely only on ourselves, then we cannot achieve it. Lord, help us to put our trust in You. You alone can save us and only through You can we achieve the most difficult things. #PrayVD
8/19/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 - Monday
Mt 19:16-22 Give and you shall have treasure in heaven It’s better to give than to receive. Easy to say but often hard to do, as we see in the case of the rich young man. Sometimes we get attached to what we possess, getting our satisfaction and sense of security and even a sense of identity from them. Jesus invites us today to give up this attachment and desire instead the much better treasure —His eternal kingdom. Lord help us to detach ourselves from worldly things that will not last. #PrayVD
8/18/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 18, 2019August 18, 2019 – Sunday
Gospel: Luke 12:49-53 “I have come to get the earth on fire.” Fire here is a symbol of God’s love for us: He wants us to keep our love on fire too, for Him and the many others in this topsy-turvy world who may be needing our help and compassion. We express our love by saying Yes through the little things we do each day: cleaning, cooking, serving others. That’s how we die for Him, and our flame is not diminished by each trial and difficulty. His love keeps us alive to continue on, and inspire others. It only takes a spark to start a forest fire. Let us be that spark!
8/17/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 17, 2019August 17, 2019 – Saturday
Gospel: Matthew 19:13-15 “Let the children come to me....” Jesus Christ said on many occasions that children and adults alike (helpless children who need assistance) should be brought to Him, that He may lay His hands on them and pray for them. What a privilege! We are therefore obliged to bring them to the Lord. Children have a clean, innocent heart, thus they are so open and sincere. Let’s not (even at a late age) stop acting like children.. Our relationship with Him should deepen and progress as we mature, yet we must continue to act and think like little children who would always run to Him.
8/16/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 – Friday
Gospel: Matthew 19:3-12 “What God has put together, let no man separate.” Marriage must be looked upon as a gift from God. When we view marriage as a partnership, working for the family, the children, their welfare together, and when God is a third party to the union, trials are a little easier to handle because we know we have a strong foundation. “What God has put together, man cannot dissolve” becomes our basic tenet. We see the consequences of a weak union, the casualties are the children, who are emotionally unstable, and the effect to society in general. Let us live in our families the virtues of respect, service, and concern for everyone.
8/15/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 15, 2019August 15, 2019 – Thursday
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56 “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” On this feast day of the Assumption of Our Lady, we are filled with joy of having a mother in heaven who was brought up in glory body and soul. She who has comforted us all our lives, we look up to her and emulate her humility, though she is the Mother of Jesus, what she went through isn’t comparable to what we are going through. As we go through our own suffering, let us be like her, quiet in grace and dignity. She’s the closest we can get to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Cling to her like a child, wrapped in her warm motherly embrace.
8/14/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 – Wednesday
Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20 “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as repentance we go to seek God’s mercy. Although we have offended Him, He is not angered and readily forgives us through the Absolution, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall become white as snow....” (Is 1:18) He seeks not punishment for us nor vengeance for our offenses, but repentance and conversion from our hearts. We give thanks to the Lord for this gift of forgiveness, and for making Himself always available to us.
8/13/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 – Tuesday
Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5. 10, 12-14 “It is not the will of your Heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” Just like a parent who is far from his/her children, if physically, you may cry because you miss them and yearn to know how they are doing and if they’re safe. Worse is if one’s child is cold and distant, avoids contact with you, or is confused. We plead with God for them.. But God’s mercy is overwhelming, he’s continually watching over us, constantly nudging us to keep close to Him. He cannot bear for us to be distant, sad and astray for long. He waits for us with joyful anticipation and rewards us with unconditional love, Do we love Him in return?
8/12/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 12, 2019August 12, 2019 – Monday
Gospel: Matthew 17:22-27 “Will your master not pay the As required by law, even Jesus was concerned about paying His taxes. This illustrates us that paying taxes is part of our responsibility as good citizens. We are concerned with how our environment is being respected and kept clean, we participate in making elections clean and vote according to our conscience. Good Christians fulfill their obligations at work, to one’s family and neighbor, to one’s country -- for the common good. We are conscious of social justice and dignity of life. By doing so, we commit to work and strive to protect God’s creations, fulfilling His plan here on earth. #PrayVD |
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August 2021
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