Weekly Guidelines
Read this week's guidelines and be nourished as you journey with our Community in Cebu.
 Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living waterWeek 5 (Aug 26-Sept 1, 2019) General Theme: Care for Love General Objective: To take care of God’s life and love that we carry within ourselves as there is something in our lives that steals His life and love. It is when we don’t listen to Him and live in Him. Objective for the week: To be able to see the great transcendence of one's life as we faithfully care and live for this love
INTRODUCTION
Love is the best gift God has given to us. The world was created, and everything was good, out of God's love for you and me. Out of his great love too, he sent his only begotten son to serve and save us from the slavery of sins. God as love is the one who placed love in our hearts and the first one who takes good care of it. What will happen to us if we don’t love? We are nothing. Life can be so empty, chaotic, lonely. Yet because of love, we continue to exist, to live and to always come back to life after every fall. Let us take care of this love of God. This is the invitation of this truth of faith, the Care For Love. To take care of this is to continue nourishing ourselves with God’s word. It’s to stay connected through prayer with the real source of the life-giving water. Our life in connection to the Source will always flow life. Praying with the word is to allow this love to grow and allow this life giving water to flow from our lives so that others may live and have life to its fullness. It is in order to teach others to become bearer of this life-giving water as well. Imagine a river that flows life-giving water! This is how Jesus has been looking at our life if he is telling us to take care of His life and love. How many lives can receive life! What a great perspective, God has over our discipleship! Monday Letting the Stream of Life-Giving Water to flow Jn 7:37 7 On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and 38 whoever believes in me should drink. As the scripture says, ‘Streams of life-giving water will pour out from his side.’” The thirst is not simply referring to a natural thirst, but a thirst after the riches, honours and pleasures of this life. As what St.Augustine said, ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.’ As we take care of this love we become fully aware that everyday our hearts are still restless, still in search for something.We know then where to go to – to be in prayer, in silence, in being alone with Jesus. But as we pray for it, Jesus is asking us to think of the others who are also restless, still searching, who are lost and don’t know what to do or where to go. To whom Jesus is asking you to go and offer this stream of life-giving water, to ease their restlessness and to find what they are still searching for? Tuesday Drawing all people to Him John 12:33 When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” Jesus came to this world not to be served, but to serve and that includes to go through sufferings and die. The purpose of which is for our salvation. If Jesus had forsaken his purpose, then, all would have been lost. Taking care of this life-love of God is to have the willingness to serve, even if it meant to endure suffering for the sake of the others. To make little sacrifices for them will give glory to His death and draw others to him. This is what He wanted – to draw all to himself. What are the little sacrifices Jesus is asking you today? How do I find myself as someone who can draw others to Him? Do I carry His same desire? Wednesday Bringing life in its fullness John 10:10 I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness. What He brings is different to what the world offers. This is certain. He wants us to be convinced of this truth to continue to live taking care of the life-love of God in us, in being faithful in listening to His words everyday and having the disposition needed as His follower and believer. What are the concrete things I am doing to show that I am for His life? Thursday Becoming Messenger of Good News Luke 7:22-27 He answered John's messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 23 How happy are those who have no doubts about me!” 24 After John's messengers had left, Jesus began to speak about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind? 25 What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that and live in luxury are found in palaces! 26 Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet. 27 For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’ To care of this love of God is to say yes to be his messenger of good news. The good news is that we are loved by the Father - a love that gives life, make the blind to see again, the lame to walk, the lepers to be cleansed, the deaf to hear, the dead to be raised to life and the poor being given the hope. What word of God you still carry up to this day, that has helped you and might help others,too? Friday Choosing life, for you and for others Deuteronomy 30:20 ..I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life. Love the Lord your God, obey him and be faithful to him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land that he promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Every person wishes to obtain good things in life and desires happiness. As much as possible we don’t want to experience pain, suffering, loneliness, misery. And so is our God. He is our father and knows what’s best for us, his children. Listening to his words will always lead us to the right path and genuine joy. He wants us to learn from our first parents, Adam and Eve, our ancestors, the prophets, the apostles and the saints. God's love was never selfish. Still, he gave us the freedom - the freedom to choose between life and death; the freedom to listen to his words, to obey and to be prosperous or the freedom to do it on our own and be miserable. It’s our choice but he encourages us to choose life, and to choose life is to live life for others. How am I choosing life? Saturday Offering what brings life Acts 3:6 But Peter said to him, “I have no money at all, but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I order you to get up and walk!” From the document, Herald of the Evangelizer: "I want to inject life with my own blood to those who, in their delirium, renounce life and bury themselves alive. I want to shout to all of them with a powerful voice of the Gospel: Get up and Live!" Taking care of this life and love of God in us gives us the restlessness and eagerness to go to our brothers and sisters who doesn’t know yet who Jesus is, who to believe and who to follow. We have received so much from our Father through our family and friends, and it is now our turn to do the same, to give what we are convinced of, that can give life. It is to have the willingness to give what God has given us (time, talent, treasure) and teach them to do the same. How convince am I of the life of God in me that I am not reluctant in offering him to others, knowing that it’s the best we can give to them? In what way, we can teach others to give their time, talent and treasure? 22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 1st Reading : Sirach 3:17-29 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 68:4-11 2nd Reading: Hebrews 12:18-24 Gospel: Luke 14:1-14 |
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