October 11, 2008 (Saturday)

DIDACHE


PROVE HIM RIGHT

“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” – Luke 11:28

We’ve all heard God’s Word countless of times. But why do only a few of us follow what we hear? I have my guesses.

Some have what I call the AKNY Syndrome, short for “Alam Ko Na ‘Yan.” When they hear God’s Word, they mumble to themselves, “I’ve heard that before.” When you believe that you already know everything, you leave yourself no room to learn.

Another reason why some of us do not seem to act on the Word is because we choose what to read. When we come across God’s promises, we get our neon highlighters, underline the verses, read them again and again and claim them to be ours. But when we read His commands, we instantly turn to the next page and forget about them. Being choosy is surely not a sign of being transformed by God’s Word.

A few of us hear the message of God clearly but wait for the “convenient” moment to apply it. We opt for convenience rather than obedience.

God gives His Word to you because He knows you can carry them out.
My suggestion? Prove Him right. Arun Gogna

REFLECTION:
“It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bothers me, it is the parts that I do.” (Mark Twain)

May Your Word, O Lord, inspire me, and disturb me when necessary.

COMPANION

1st READING

The law is our guardian to the extent that it teaches us what it means to act according to our human nature. The Law guides us in our humanity so that we can avoid the worst excesses of sin. It cannot save us from sin nor can it repair the damage done by sin. However, it is good that it is a step in the right direction, and if used well, leads us towards faith in Christ.

Galatians 3:22-29
22 Brothers and sisters: Scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe. 23 Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed. 24 Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian. 26 For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.

P S A L M

Psalm 105: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R: The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
2 Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. 3 Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD! (R) 4 Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. 5 Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his portents, and the judgments he has uttered. (R) 6 You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail. (R)

G O S P E L

Why can’t Jesus speak plainly and simply? Why all these metaphors and images in His preaching? I think Jesus wants to make us reflect more deeply on what He has to say to us. If everything He taught us was plain and simple, there is a danger we would take it for granted very easily. If we have to think about it a bit and reflect upon it a lot, it is more likely to sink deeper into our hearts and consciousness. If I am right in this, it shows us that Jesus is one smart guy!


Luke 11: 27-28
27 While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” 28 He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

my reflections
think: Jesus wants to make us reflect more deeply on what He has to say to us.
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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Sirach 13-16

SABBATH

ALL OF US ARE HEIRS OF GOD

It is true — through faith in Jesus Christ we are all invited to share in the inheritance of the children of God, namely salvation, won for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. When Paul says that there is no longer slave or free, male or female, Jew or Greek, what he is saying is that these distinctions are irrelevant when it comes to determining whether or not one is a child of God and heir to the promise of eternal life. Accepting the Gospel and becoming a Christian is not dependent upon one’s gender, race or status in life. The call is open to all.

The distinction to be made here is that between those who are and are not baptized. In Baptism, we become children of God and enter into a whole new relationship with God in such a way that it is unrepeatable. Once we are baptized, we cannot be “re-baptized.” The Catholic Church recognizes the baptism of other Christian denominations, provided the intention is to baptize the person in terms of the scriptural understanding of the sacrament. Thus, the Church does not “re-baptize’ Christian converts to Catholicism. The baptism must also be Trinitarian, that is, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

All people enter into baptism in faith, and then stand as equals before the Father as His children. This means that we should always work towards breaking down any barriers between members of our faith so that our unity and witness of faith will truly reflect the unity and oneness of the life of the Trinity into which we are baptized. When a person is baptized as a child, the parents and godparents make a serious promise to form and rear the child in the ways of the Catholic faith. Baptism is not merely a ritual or photo opportunity, or an excuse to have a family get-together. It is a celebration of our faith where a child is named for God and the community commits itself to be a living witness of faith for the child so that he/she will grow up knowing what it means to be a Christian. Fr. Steve Tynan

Reflection Question:
How faithful am I to living out the true meaning of my baptism? Is my life a good witness of the Christian life to those around me?

Holy Spirit, grant me the grace and strength to follow Your call daily and to always witness that truth to others.

St. Kenneth, monk, pray for us.

October 9, 2008 (Thursday)

DIDACHE

JUST ASK

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds and to him who knocks the door will be opened.” – Luke 11:9-10

I was really tired. All I wanted to do was crash down on the bed and sleep until I felt tired of sleeping. I silently made my way to my bed inside our dorm.

But I had a problem. It was pitch black. I could have used my cell phone as a flashlight to move towards my bed but the battery was dead so I couldn’t make it light up. And I didn’t want to wake my roommates by turning on the lights. So I crept my way in the darkness.

After a couple of hushed “Ouch!” from bumping into things littered around the dorm, I was startled when a light came from one of the beds. I stopped, rubbed my knee and looked at my roommate who had turned on her lamp. She asked, “Why are you walking in the dark?”

I whispered, “I didn’t want to wake you up by turning on the lights.”

“Well you could have asked,” she replied. We’re like that sometimes. We insist on walking in the darkness when we could have light all along. All we have to do is ask. Tina Matanguihan

REFLECTION:
“We have no business to remain in the dark about the character of the Father when He has made His character very clear to us.” (Oswald Chambers)

Father, may I never be too shy to approach You anytime.

COMPANION

1st READING

Paul does not mince his words with the Galatians. He is horrified at how quickly and easily they were led astray by all sorts of false doctrines. Perhaps it is helpful for us to reflect on this a while and consider how vulnerable we can be if we remove ourselves from the spiritual authority of the Church. We may not always like what the Church teaches but so what. Truth is not always comfortable. You know that from experience!

Galatians 3: 1-5
1 O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 I want to learn only this from you: did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard? 3 Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4 Did you experience so many things in vain? — if indeed it was in vain. 5 Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you heard?

P S A L M

Luke 1:69, 70-71, 72, 73 -75
R: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
69 He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David. (R) 70 Through his holy prophets he promised of old: 71 that he would save us from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. (R) 72 He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. (R) 73 This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to set us free from the hand of enemies, free to worship him without fear, 75 holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. (R)

G O S P E L

I do not think there are many Christians who really like this passage of Scripture. I am sure we would all much prefer it if God just gave into our requests when we first ask rather than for us to persevere in asking. Sorry, it does not work like that. If everything was that easy we would never value it. The grace of God is never cheap (Bonhoeffer) and I say this is a good thing because we have to realize that our salvation was brought at the terribly high price of the suffering and death of the Son of God!

Luke 11: 5-13
5 Jesus said to his disciples: “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ 7 and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. 9 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12 Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

my reflections
think:The grace of God is never cheap.
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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Sirach 5-8

SABBATH


LIVING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

St. Paul is appalled by the Galatians’ tendency to move back to living according to the outward observances of the Law even though they have heard the Gospel – the call to focus on our interior or spiritual response to God’s word. The latter is much easier to do and to measure, and perhaps this is why we tend to always slide in that direction. The challenge for us all is to maintain a consistent approach to looking at our spiritual response to the Gospel and to ensure that we do not neglect this aspect of our lives.

St. Paul asks the Galatians to reflect upon their experience of conversion. Did their conversion, and hence salvation, depend upon their obedience to the Law or was it the work of God that we freely receive through faith in the power of the Holy Spirit? They know the truth; now it is up to them to live it. This means making decisions to place spiritual realities at the forefront of our lives. We cannot afford to ignore God’s call to obedience, or if we do, we do so at the peril of our salvation. In Paul’s mind, only a fool would ignore the Gospel demands of spiritual renewal once a person has started on that path. By this time, a person should already be convinced of the truth of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ or else one would not have embarked on the journey of faith in the first place.

This is what Paul cannot understand with the Galatians – they know the truth but seem to be happy to ignore it, and to go back to their old way of life. Where is the sense or logic in that? Before we also stand in judgment over the Galatians, let us make sure that we have not committed the same error. Let us maintain constancy in the life of the Spirit and do not allow a preoccupation with the Law to lead us astray. Let us ensure our lives are truly submitted to both the Word of God and the Spirit of God lest we fall into the same trap as the Galatians. Fr. Steve Tynan

Reflection Question:
In my faith walk with Jesus, do I tend to measure how I am doing according to precepts of the Law or the demands of the Spirit? The Law is important but without the Spirit, it will merely be legalism.

Holy Spirit, help me to live a life under Your grace and power, always seeking to live the truth and the law by the grace You give to me.

St. John Leonardi, priest, pray for us.

October 8, 2008 (Wednesday)

BEYOND PRISON WALLS

For His merciful kindness is great towards us. And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. – Psalm 117: 2

There have been many stories about convicts who lived a life of debauchery and sin outside the prison walls, but after sometime of being behind bars and serving their sentence, they slowly notice God’s presence, embrace His teachings and live a new life — whether inside the prison walls, or outside.

Many transformations have occurred while being with the lowest of the pit, mixing with the scums of the earths. It seems that the environment they have been transported in gives them a better view of God and His magnificence.

Butch Belgica, Eddie Mesa, Vincent Crisologo — these are men who defied reason, were wild and wanton, who were incarcerated for their misdeeds. But when they were released, they began to preach about God and His goodness.

There are others who are still there, languishing, serving for life, but, now mouthing a different language, spreading and sharing God’s love to anyone who would listen. The walls and bars were not a hindrance to their mission, as they praised God for His mercy and kindness. Chelle Crisanto

REFLECTION:
Never under- estimate the mercy of God.

Lord, thank You for Your mercy that endures forever!

COMPANION

1st READING

What Paul did in the 14 years Paul mentions here are difficult to account for. It seems quite clear that there was a break between the time of his conversion and his ministry as we read from his letters and the Acts of the Apostles. What did he do? I do not know. Perhaps it was a time of formation, study, and reflection. All we know is that when he arrived on the scene, everyone knew he was back.

Galatians 1: 1-2, 7-14
1 Brothers and sisters: After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2 I went up in accord with a revelation, and I presented to them the gospel that I preach to the Gentiles — but privately to those of repute — so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised, 8 for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles, 9 and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me, James and Kephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, we were to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do. 11 And when Kephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. 12 For, until some people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself, because he was afraid of the circumcised. 13 And the rest of the Jews [also] acted hypocritically along with him, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not on the right road in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Kephas in front of all, “If you, though a Jew, are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

P S A L M

Psalm 117: 1bc, 2
R: Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
1 Praise the LORD, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever. (R)


G O S P E L

Prayer is an essential part of any disciple’s life. Without prayer, we are fodder to the lies of the enemy. Why? Prayer is our daily link with Jesus. Prayer is the lifeblood in our spiritual veins. Prayer is the way we are led in the paths of truth and righteousness. Prayer is the way we receive the love that makes us holy. And I could keep on going here for the next few pages!

Luke 11: 1-4
1 Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread 4 and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

my reflections
think: Prayer is the lifeblood in our spiritual veins.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Sirach 1-4

SABBATH


NO ONE IS ABOVE CORRECTION

Paul tells us of a time when he felt it was necessary to challenge Peter on his preference to eat only with the Jewish converts to Christianity, and neglect to fellowship with Gentile converts. There were certain pressures placed upon Peter to do this, but this does not justify his actions. Paul was right to correct the leader of the Christian Church. In the 2000 year history of the Church, there have been both men and women who have rightly challenged the actions of one particular Pope. Are you surprised at this? Maybe you think a Pope is beyond being challenged in such a manner? Well, if the Pope was a truly holy man, then I bet he welcomed the challenge and was grateful for it.

The same ought to be true for all of us. If we are challenged about a particular practice in our lives, particularly if it is sinful or bordering on sin, we ought to be grateful to the person who challenges us as they may be instrumental in saving us from serious consequences. None of us is beyond challenging or falling into serious sin. It is part of our love towards each other to challenge a brother or sister in danger of sin and in turn receive such a challenge with gratitude when it comes to us personally.

The Holy Spirit will be the main avenue of challenge for us, but God sometimes uses other people, particularly those who are close to us. The stronger our relationship with a person, the more likely we are to be an instrument of challenge for them as we have established a relationship upon which a challenge can be made without destroying the relationship. It is not easy to confront a friend about a fault in his life, but true love will embrace such difficult situations with steadfastness knowing that it is truly a demand of love upon us. Jesus never lost an opportunity to proclaim the truth to an individual in error. Let us pray that we will have the grace to do so when called upon by the Holy Spirit and the demands of love to do so.Fr. Steve Tynan

Reflection Question:
Am I reluctant to challenge a friend who has fallen into sin? Why is this the case?

Holy Spirit, help me to embrace every aspect of the demands of love in my relationships with others. Help me to see that true love embraces fully even those things that are difficult.

St. Pelagia, virgin and martyr, pray for us.

October 7, 2008 (Tuesday)

Memorial Our Lady of the Rosary

MINI-MOM

But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things.” – Luke 10:41

I must confess I am every inch like Mommy, who is much like Martha.

Mommy was an extraordinary woman and truly admirable. She tirelessly walked the extra mile for everyone. Even as she overextended herself for others, abala was never in her vocabulary. She had a delightful heart in serving people to make them feel special and loved.

Being the only daughter with three brothers, she trained me to be the “mini-mom” taking on the responsibilities and being in charge. That remained unchanged as I grew older, got married and eventually became a single mom, to the point of perennially being referred to as the “Ate at Nanay ng Bayan.” I too became a certified worrier!

Then one day, the Lord put me in an emotionally difficult circumstance that changed everything. He allowed an experience to happen to teach me a valuable lesson. Steadily, over the past three years, I have learned to simply keep still, be at His feet and entrust my life to Him. Slowly, I am being transformed from the Martha that I was to the Mary He wants me to be. Incidentally, my name is Maria Rosario. Marie Franco

REFLECTION:
Quiet down. Listen to Him. What is He trying to tell you?

O Lord, as I keep still, reveal what it is that I should live for and give me the heart to go as You command.

COMPANION

1st READING

Mary is at the heart of the mission of the Church. We can always look to her to intercede for us in our mission work, and know for sure that she will respond to our requests. Mary’s heart is a heart of evangelization. Like all true mothers, she does not want to see any of her children lost to the promises of eternal life.

Acts 1: 12-14 (or Galatians 1:13-24)
12 After Jesus had been taken up into heaven, the Apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

P S A L M

Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55 (or Psalm 139: 1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15)
R: The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
46 “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (R) 48 “For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: 49 the Mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.” (R) 50 “He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. 51 He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit.” (R) 52 “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” (R) 54 “He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy, 55 the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and to his children forever.” (R)

G O S P E L

Mary’s life will forever be an example to us of a woman who has surrendered all and held nothing back. She is the best example of discipleship the Church has ever seen. As such, we have a lot to learn from her simplicity and humility. Nowhere does Mary ever seek to draw attention to herself! Let us pray that we will have the same level of humility as we seek to serve in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 1: 26-38 (or Luke 10:38-42)
26 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

my reflections
think: Let us pray that we will have the same level of humility as Mary as we seek to serve in the Kingdom of God.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Wisdom 16-19

SABBATH


PRAY THE ROSARY

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. If we reflect upon the words of the “Hail Mary,” we will discover that the first half of it is purely scriptural and the second half is merely the request for Mary to pray for us in all of our neediness. I do not know how any Bible-believing Christian to the most left-wing or right-wing Catholic could have any problems with such a prayer.

Catholics are not obliged to pray the Rosary, but again, if we have such a great and powerful intercessor waiting to place our prayers before Jesus, her son, why wouldn’t we avail of such an offer? It seems to me that all the logic in the world points to praying the Rosary as well as to using Mary as an intercessor as a good idea. There are many other arguments I could make in favor of this thesis, including an analysis of the text in John’s Gospel where Jesus commends Mary to the care of the apostle John and him to her.

There are many examples in history where victory over disease and invading armies were attributed to the intercession of Our Lady. As we reflect today on the role of the Rosary in our lives and families, let us try to remember these things and so be encouraged to seek the intercession of Mary in our lives. We often ask others to pray for us as they ask us to pray for them. If we want something, often the first place we turn is to our mothers, especially if it means getting our father’s permission. Maybe we can put in place a similar strategy when we are seeking spiritual graces from our Father in Heaven. Of course, there is nothing to stop us from going straight to the Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but sometimes we might feel more comfortable knowing we have Mary as an intercessor at our side.

Mary interceded to Jesus for the couple who ran out of wine at their wedding. I am sure she will look as kindly upon our requests, provided of course they truly reflect Gospel principles and the will of God for our lives. Fr. Steve Tynan

Reflection Question:
When was the last time I prayed the Rosary? Does the Rosary have a place in my life?

Holy Spirit, help me to make full use of the gift of intercession from Mary and all of the saints in heaven as I seek to do the will of God in my life.

St. Artaldus, pray for us.

October 6, 2008 (Monday)

DIDACHE

ARE YOUR TRULY IN LOVE?

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” – Luke 10:27

For two years, I dated this very nice guy. We enjoyed each other’s company and we were happy for a while. However, it came to the point when I felt the need to ask where the relationship was headed and if I really had a special place in his heart. With sadness in his eyes he said, “You are very special to me but I am not ready for a commitment.”

True love is not just a feeling; it’s a commitment. And a commitment is when we keep on doing what we promised to do even when it goes against our own interest. It’s easy to say we love God but do we really mean it when we are faced with trials? Do we follow His will even if it’s totally against the desires of our heart?

We must not respond to God’s wholehearted love in a half-hearted manner. Loving God is not just something that we say with our lips. It’s something that we demonstrate with what we do with our lives as we live out His commands. Jane Gonzales

REFLECTION:
Love has to find a way to demonstrate itself. Do not let anything control you other than the love for the Lord and the desire to fulfill His will in your life.

Merciful Father, help us to grow in our love for You and find more satisfaction and joy in Your Presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

COMPANION

1st READING

Paul is a straight shooter! He does not take long to raise the issue that gives rise to this letter to the Galatians. I hope each of us has friends in our lives who will act similarly if we start to stray from the Lord’s path. Such forthrightness should be seen as a blessing and gift, and we should welcome it as difficult as that may be at times. No one likes to be corrected as it hurts our pride. But better to be corrected and returned to the path of truth than to wander off into the depths of sin!

Galatians :6-
6 Brothers and sisters: I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel 7 (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! 9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed! 10 Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. 11 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

P S A L M

Psalm : b- , 7-8, 9 and 0c
R: The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
1 I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. 2 Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights. (R) 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; sure are all his precepts, 8 reliable forever and ever, wrought in truth and equity. (R) 9 He has sent deliverance to his people; he has ratified his covenant forever; holy and awesome is his name. 10 His praise endures forever. (R)

G O S P E L


The story of the Good Samaritan is another one of the parables that we are in danger of ignoring due to over-familiarity. This is a great pity as we live in the world at a time of great tension between different peoples, religions and cultures. Only when we learn to respect all men and women, and treat them with a true sense of equality and brotherhood, will we be able to overcome the vast differences in culture and belief. This is, of course, a two-way reality. While we can love others as our brothers, the full effect of this love will only come when it is reciprocated.

Luke 0: - 7
25 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” 27 He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29 But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 32 Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 33 But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. 34 He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ 36 Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” 37 He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

my reflections
think: Only when we learn to respect all men and women, will we be able to overcome the vast differences in culture and belief.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Wisdom 13-15



SABBATH


VIGILANCE IS THE KEY TO FAITHFULNESS

Paul finds it difficult to believe how quickly the Christians in Galatia have returned to old ways of acting, and are following something other than the Gospel he preached to them. In my 14 years as a priest, I can say that I have felt exactly the same thing, but that was many years ago. I have come to learn a little bit more about human nature and the way that it seems to be able to veer away from truth and embrace something less than the whole truth.

Some might blame this tendency upon the after effects of Original Sin but dare I say that this seems to me to be a little simplistic? There is more to it than that. Jesus has given us victory over sin and called us to live the truth (no one knows this more than Paul) and we have the grace to stay on the right path and not be deceived by sin. We have choices to make, and in the words of Shakespeare, “Aye, there’s the rub!” We too easily look for excuses to hide or camouflage our poor choices. Let us embrace the truth and admit the fact that we often choose unwisely, and that is the reason we fall back into the ways of sin.

Discipleship is the key to a holy life. We must be willing to submit our lives to the scrutiny and direction of the Holy Spirit. Without making this choice, there is no way that anyone will be able to follow the path of God’s will. It is only in the grace and power of the Spirit that holiness becomes a possibility (see Romans 8). It is all about choices: we can choose to walk in the ways of God, and avoid the temptations of sin, or we can choose otherwise. Maybe concupiscence, the remnant of Original Sin has a part to play here, but I still believe we have a choice.

Holiness is a possibility if we surrender our lives to the grace of the Holy Spirit because this will enable us to make the right choices more easily. I need all the help I can to choose well. What about you? Fr. Steve Tynan

Reflection Question:
How active am I in placing my life under the grace and power of the Holy Spirit?

Lord Jesus, help me to surrender my life more deeply to the power of the Holy Spirit so that I will experience daily the grace of conversion and discipleship.

Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, virgin, pray for us.