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.
9/11/2018
Daily Guidelines: September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 - Tuesday Gospel: Luke 6:12-19 And he came down with them and stood on a level place It’s a buzzword these days — servant leadership. But what does it really mean? Jesus Himself told us that if we want to be first in the Kingdom, we should put others before ourselves. But Jesus did much more than talk about it. He practiced in order to show others the way.
When He commissions the disciples, it’s said that He came down with them. He accompanied them in their very mission. What’s more He stood with them “on a level place”, perhaps so that He would not set Himself above the people but be among them. in our own lives, Jesus practices this kind of leadership—He accompanies us everyday through our struggles and difficulties. He helps us carry our burdens and gives us what we need to fulfill our mission. Lord, thank you for how you love and serve us. May Your example always shine a light on our life as disciples, that we will serve others as You do. #PrayVD
9/10/2018
Daily Guidelines: September 10, 2018Sept 10, 2018 - Monday Gospel: Luke 6:6-11 Stretch out your hand. Whenever we feel ill and go to the hospital, chances are the doctor would ask to do a blood test on us. Quite literally, we need to stretch out our hand for the nurse to extract the blood. It’s painful but necessary if we want to get well, just like the man with the withered hand.
But there are times when, even if we are not sick, Jesus calls us to stretch out our hand. Perhaps to help a friend, give alms to the poor, or comfort a relative. Or perhaps even just to extend mercy to others. Perhaps Jesus’ words in the gospel today were meant not just for the man with the withered hand but also to the pharisees. That they may become more compassionate towards others. Lord, help us to stretch out our hands to those in need that we ourselves will be healed from our selfish ways. #PrayVD September 9, 2018 - Sunday Gospel Mark 7: 31-37 "Ephphata...be opened!" In today's gospel a person who is deaf and dumb was brought to Jesus. A deaf or a person bearing impairment before were considered being judged for sin, they thought people with this kind of situations were being possessed with evil spirit. But when Jesus put His finger into the man's ears he said Ephphatha that means be opened, the man is able to hear and speak.
Sometimes, we are also blinded or being deaf, not like the one Jesus healed in the Gospel, but like the people who don't understand the situation of others. Sometimes we close ourselves to the ones who need our openness. Today Jesus calls us to reflect on the areas of our lives that we need to open for others. Let us also ask Mother Mary to pray for us that we may open our eyes, ears and heart to listen to the word of God. Amen. #PrayVD September 8, 2018 - Saturday Gospel: Matthew 1: 1-23 Emmanuel, God is with us. Today we celebrate the feast of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today's Gospel gives us the list of the ancestors of Jesus. This tells us who Jesus is and how God acts in a surprising way in order to fulfill his promise. In our identity there is our name and the name of our parents and ancestors. Our ancestors plays a big part of who we are. It is God's wonderful mystery that Jesus came from an ancestry not of righteous persons but of sinners - a testimony how God wanted to be with us even though we are unworthy. And in order for the prophecy to come true, Jesus was born by a woman who is not touched by sin - Mary. Mary is already in the mind of God when a prophecy of a woman who would be the mother of His child came - a child who would be called Emmanuel, God is with us. Her "yes" to the will of God bearing Jesus fulfill the promise of salvation for all of us. May we be like Mother Mary that we may also be the bearers of Jesus in this world. Amen. #PrayVD September 7, 2018 Friday
Gospel: Luke 5: 33-39 Do you allow Jesus to renew you? In today's gospel, the tradition became the comfort of the Pharisees. There was a security in the familiar. It became their comfort zone following traditions that they inherited.
Jesus was not breaking any law of God when He and his disciples did not fast more often. Jesus was not being less spiritual. He was only violating the customs, traditions set up by the Pharisees and Sadducees to help people keep the law of God. Jesus reminds us today that our responsibility is to obey the Lord. Let us pray to know and see what is of the Lord and what is not. When we allow Jesus to come into our lives, we are converted and renewed from being sinners to becoming sons and daughters of God. Let us allow God to renew our way of life to become the change of this society obeying the law of the Lord. Pope Francis told that "Being Christian means allowing oneself to be renewed by Jesus in this new life." Let us ask Mother Mary to pray for us that like her, may we be open to be changed and renewed by God's love. Amen. #PrayVD September 6, 2018 Thursday
Gospel: Luke 5:1-11 Let go. We too just like Peter and his companions have our own experiences of "I did my best but I guess my best wasn't good enough", working hard all night long but catching nothing. We know this frustration that one feels when best efforts end in failure. We've experienced it in our personal life, in our family, in our work, even in our community life trying very hard and doing everything, giving our best but what we did not expect happens.
In today's gospel, the moment of frustration and discouragement of Peter and his companions is the best time for Jesus to enter into the scene. He asked Peter to "put out into the deep and lower their nets for a catch." Let go, let Him be in control. In which areas of your life is Jesus asking you to let go and trust him more? Today, Jesus invites us to let go and let him take control. May we be like Peter who believes that great things do happen when we trust. Let us ask Mother Mary to enable us to listen, let go and trust like Peter letting Jesus be in control with our lives. Amen. #PrayVD September 4, 2018 Tuesday
Gospel: Luke 4:31- 37 You are the holy one of God. Each one of us were given an authority of some kind: as parents to our children, a teachers to our students, as leaders - authority and power.
In today's gospel, Jesus commanded the evil spirits with authority and power. This authority and power of Jesus is an experience of grace not to punish us but to love us. Today, Jesus invites us to use our authority and power with love and mercy to help our brothers and sisters who are possessed with "evil spirits" such as anger, envy, greed, etc. using it in such a way of imitating Him in using His authority and power with grace and compassion. We can ask ourselves today: “How do we use our authority or power towards other people?” Mother Mary, help us to humble ourselves as we use our authority and power towards the people that Jesus entrusted to us. Amen #PrayVD September 3, 2018 Monday
Gospel: Luke 4:16- 30* "The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor." Luke 4: 18 In today's gospel, Jesus talked about his mission to bring good news to the poor.
As His true disciples that were moved and touched by Jesus, we also have to do something about it. We have to work for it - seeking out the oppressed, reaching out to the unwanted and unloved, reaffirming their dignity, listening to the cry of the wounded and poor and lifting them up with compassion. Jesus invites us today to honor Him by doing His works. If we are true disciples of Jesus we also need to respond to His call following Him by proclaiming the good news to the poor. Mama Mary help us to respond to the invitation of Jesus to do His works and to bring good news to the poor. Amen. #PrayVD September 2, 2018 - Sunday Gospel : Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23 The heart of the matter Here we see Jesus being confronted by the Religious Leaders who strictly follow human traditions. Jesus protested this legalism and hypocrisy! Purely external compliance. A contradiction to God’s commandment! For he invites us to look to the inside- to the heart, where it matters to him. Don’t sweat the small stuff, focus on the essentials. Rest assured, God sees our heart.
Let us be grateful! On any day, there is always something to be grateful for . Thank you Holy Trinity and Mama Mary! We are almost near the end of 2018. Your love for us sustained us! Increased our capacity to love that we may bring peace and joy into our broken world. Amen! #PrayVD September 1, 2018 - Saturday Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30 Well done! Merry Christmas! Well at least here in the Phillipines! “All roads” lead to Charity institution for “gift giving” from extra bonuses received! Well done!
But wait, this parable means more than that. We are challenged to emulate Jesus by using all that God has given for the sake of the church- his people. In anticipation of his return, to continue to do the work each one of us is called for - faithfully, consistently and wise. However, people are not the same. The “foolish” may take time to relax, neglect his work and worst, take advantage of what he has for his own selfish ambitions. For this type of character, there will be regrettable consequences. So let us be good stewards of the gifts entrusted to us. In giving it is not measured by its physical attributes for God looks at our heart. #PrayVD |
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