Weekly Guidelines
Read this week's guidelines and be nourished as you journey with our Community in Cebu.
This is how my own happiness is made complete(John 3:29) February 25-March 3, 2019 General Theme: Your Life is for Love General Objective: To discover in an experiential way that only God satisfies our unceasing search for love – a love that is permanent, eternal, true and unchanging. Objective of the week: To lead others to have a taste and knowledge of the fullness of His love so that they can give themselves entirely to Him
INTRODUCTION “What can I offer the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will bring a wine offering to the Lord, for saving me.” (Psalm 116:12) The fullness of love is in its reciprocity. God, who is love has fallen in love with us. He wants us, not our things, to fulfil us. “It is you I want, not your money…I will be glad to spend all I have, and myself as well, in order to help you. Will you love me less because I love you so much?(2 Cor. 12:14-15) Life is to love and to love is to give. This is the basic element of life. It cannot be denied that God is generous of his love to each one of us without limits in spite of our disobedience and ungratefulness. Let us live our life full of faith as a thanksgiving to our God who really cares. God wants to share with us his fruitful love. (Is.54:1)Jesus in his life teaches us what it means to love. It is in him and with him that we are capacitated to love and bring others to him. Who knows that with our smile and open heart can relieve their broken spirit; that through our teachings can lighten their dark path and bring tears of remorse and joy; that with our service to them can open their eyes to see Christ. Love is not merely passive, but active; it does not procrastinate. Love does not mind whether it is reciprocated or refused if it is freely given with sweetness and joy. This is the true happiness that fills in our emptiness. If we only open our hearts completely to Christ, there is nothing we long for. “The Lord is my shepherd and there is nothing I shall want.” (Ps 23:1) “Come, let us bow down and worship him; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! He is our God; we are the people he cares for, the flock for which he provides.” (Ps. 95:6-7) MONDAY Dedicating Oneself to Him Jn. 17:19 19 And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you. God poured out himself for us. He emptied himself. The giving of oneself is the measure of our gratitude to him. How about you, how do you show your love to him? To what extent can you offer yourself to him? TUESDAY Sharing His Joy Jn. 17:13-21 And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they might have my joy in their hearts in all its fullness. 14 I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. 16 Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. 17 Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. 18 I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. 19 And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you. 20 “I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. 21 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The worldly happiness is too far beyond compare with the joy of the Lord. It is only in Jesus that we can find the real peace and happiness. It is obtained through our obedience in preaching his word to those who are hungry and thirsty of his love. Preaching is worth life-fulfilling and a great opportunity to express our gratitude. Having found the cause of the real joy is to invite others to come, taste and see the goodness of the Lord. WEDNESDAY Fruitfulness in Loving Jn. 15: 10-12 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. We are called to love as long as we live. Love is to be shared so that others may live, especially those who are hopeless, those who are blinded by the truth and searching for real joy. It is in giving our life that we can be more united in his love. Have you been sensitive to the invitation of Jesus? In what situation are you sensitive to his call? How was your feeling when you gave yourself to others with God’s inspiration? THURSDAY Proclaiming His Love Jn. 4:28-30 Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people there, 29 “Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the Messiah?” 30 So they left the town and went to Jesus. We have been a witness how Christ works in us that no matter how difficult life is and how confused we are in making our decisions over an expected situation, but when we walk with Christ, everything turns out to be peaceful and joyful. Despite the obstacles and traumatic experiences that we have gone through we could witness how good is the Lord and taste how sweet is His Love. Regardless of how many times we fall because of our disobedience; yet God in his infinite love continues to reach out to us his mercy and compassion. Let us proclaim the sweetness of God’s Love who always finds the initiative for our salvation. How do I give thanks to God for the gifts that I have received in this community? How do I become a blessing to others? FRIDAY Embracing The Mission Galatians 2:15-21 Indeed, we are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners,” as they are called. 16 Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires. 17 If, then, as we try to be put right with God by our union with Christ, we are found to be sinners, as much as the Gentiles are—does this mean that Christ is serving the cause of sin? By no means! 18 If I start to rebuild the system of Law that I tore down, then I show myself to be someone who breaks the Law. 19 So far as the Law is concerned, however, I am dead—killed by the Law itself—in order that I might live for God. I have been put to death with Christ on his cross, 20 so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. 21 I refuse to reject the grace of God. But if a person is put right with God through the Law, it means that Christ died for nothing! According to St. Paul, faith without action is dead. Let us invite others to contemplate on the word of God so that they too may encounter Christ. Similarly, let us ask God’s grace to capacitate us in embracing the mission, set aside our human weaknesses and allow Christ to reign and increase in us. What must I do to heed the urgent need of the Church? SATURDAY Being Fruitful Gen. 13:15-16 I am going to give you and your descendants all the land that you see, and it will be yours forever. 16 I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth! Let us always express our gratitude to God who loves us and gives us the gift of faith and wisdom. Let us look at pleasing Him in every way. Whatever situation we have encountered, he is always with us. Our lives as disciples is a huge gift to others who are striving for happiness. We can be giving hope, inspiration and consolation amidst this world full of fear, hatred, deception and despair. To whom can I be a gift? Do I find my joy in the Lord? SUNDAY 1st Reading – Sir 27:4-7
Resp Psalm – Psalm 92:2-16 2nd Reading – 1 Cor. 15:54-58 Gospel – Lk 6:39-45 |
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