“I will follow you wherever you go.” – Matthew 8:19 - Daily Bible Reflections June 27, 2016

NO BACKING OUT

 

“I will follow you wherever you go.” – Matthew 8:19

 

     We were making final arrangements for a travel destination we wanted to visit but the hotels with good reviews were all fully booked.

       So we took a risk and did a blind booking, which means we wouldn’t know exactly what hotel we’d get until we have paid for it. I was worried but I knew it would be a nice vacation no matter what. The satisfaction of going to our dream destination was far greater than some discomforts we might have to bear.

       To decide to follow Christ entails full commitment and total surrender — no chance to think twice and back out. It means  putting Him first above all things and everybody else. It requires us not just to be with Him but to live for Him and follow His way of life.

       People who do not believe in Jesus may ridicule us. We may need to sacrifice and suffer a lot. But that’s how Christ laid out the cost of following Him.

      It’s daunting, isn’t it? But there is nothing more gratifying than to serve Christ who leads us to bliss eternal. Jane Gonzales-Rauch (mgr516@gmail.com)

 

Pope Francis Says: “We cannot be part-time Christians! We should seek to live our faith at every moment of every day.”

 

Lord Jesus, I offer my life in total surrender for Your glory. Guide my footsteps that I may follow Yours. Amen.

 

St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor of the Church, pray for us.

Have you given up on praying for something? Is God calling you to pray for it again? - Daily Bible Reflections June 24,2016

Solemnity of the Nativity of

St. John the Baptist

 

TUMMY BULGE

 

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. – Luke 1:57-58

 

       One September night, a couple who had been praying for a baby went to my house just to say hi. Before they left, I was moved to pray over them. I told them what I felt was from the Lord, that “before the year ends, you will conceive.”

        One day, my phone rang. It was this couple. “Jon, we’re pregnant!” It was mid-December of the same year. Many months later, they got me as godfather and named the child after me.

       In today’s reading, God is saying, “Your time has come. It’s time to believe again! I can still bring that dream to fulfillment. I can still restore your marriage. I can still heal your body. I can give you the job you’ve been praying for. I can still bring the right person into your life.”

       It’s never over until God says it’s over. As long as you’re praying and believing, God is at work. Struggling with that addiction for a long while? Your day of victory and freedom is on its way. Keep praying, keep working, keep being your best, and it shall come to pass. It’s never too late to be all that God created you to be. Jon Escoto (faithatworkjon@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: Have you given up on praying for something? Is God calling you to pray for it again?

 

Father, I’m tired. But I’ll keep on praying and working. I’ll leave the results to Your able and faithful hands.

 

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. – Matthew 7:24 - Daily Bible Reflections June 23,2016

ACT ON IT

 

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. – Matthew 7:24

 

       Take a stroll in the cemetery and you will realize that it’s not just a place filled with dead people; it’s also filled with dead dreams, buried without being fufilled. One reason why these dreams, visions, goals and plans remained figments of the imagination is because they were never put into action.

       Every vision needs to be turned into action constantly for it to become a reality. The dreamer needs to have a bias for action. The visionary doesn’t just ask in faith, but acts in faith, because the extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience. So if you have a dream, act on it by building specific daily habits that inch you closer to it. Because success is everyday execution and action attracts abundance.

      The same goes with the Word of God. It can’t remain just a cute concept in our heads that we share on social media. For it to transform our lives, we need to act on it. We need to apply it in our lives.

    I heard a preacher once said, “Blessing is God’s department; obedience is ours.” Mike Viñas (mikemichaelfcv@yahoo.com)

 

Pope Francis Says: “Let us all remember this: one cannot proclaim the Gospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’s life.”

 

Jesus, teach me not just to be a hearer of Your Word, but a doer.

 

St. John Fisher, pray for us.

Is there a teaching in the Bible that confuses you? Ask the Holy Spirit today to enlighten you on this in a special way - Daily Bible Reflections June 22, 2016

BOSS’s ORDER

 

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart. – Psalms 119:34

 

       How do you react to instructions? MJ leads a team of eight. He regularly emails his team, often with a cold tone.

         His boss read one of the letters MJ sent to his team. He told MJ to make it more personal and more fun. MJ found this order silly and had no clue how to carry it out.

       He went to a workshop about understanding different personality types. He learned he’s the dominant type, which explained his style of composing emails. But as a leader, he learned he should cater to all personality types. If he prefers short and straight-to-the-point communication, others may have different preferences.

        It wasn’t his personality to mingle, encourage others and make things fun, but MJ started to put in more time, effort and compassion. Their relationships and output in the team improved dramatically.

         MJ needed more insight to his boss’s instructions, and the workshop provided just that. In today’s Psalms, God is asked to give us insight to observe His teaching. It takes humility to admit we lack understanding, to ask for it, and the miracle of His grace to receive insight. Carlo Lorenzo (carloflorenzo@yahoo.com)

 

Reflection: Is there a teaching in the Bible that confuses you? Ask the Holy Spirit today to enlighten you on this in a special way.

 

Jesus, help us understand and appreciate the beauty of Your teachings.

 

St. Thomas More, martyr, pray for us.

Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. – Matthew 7:12 - Daily Bible Reflections June 21, 2016

A DIFFERENT YOLANDA

STORY

 

Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. – Matthew 7:12

 

       My nephew survived Typhoon Yolanda because he wanted to save another person’s life. He and his coworker were in Bacolod and they witnessed all the destruction and death at its first hours. They were horrified to the core. The next day, they realized their money was useless — there was no food or water to buy. The best way to survive was for them to leave the city right away. His co-worker was already freaking out and wanted to die. For his sake, my nephew mustered courage and strength. He clung to his favorite verse in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

       I wanted to tell them to walk to the airport to get out of the city. But there was no communication except through heaven. So I prayed and was heard. As they walked to the airport, they met an employee on the road who had a plane pass. He invited them to join him onboard an Air Force plane to Cebu, which carried the injured and the government officials.

       It was my nephew’s faith and willingness to survive for another person that saw them through. The Golden Rule became the key to a critical moment in life. Donna España (donna.espana@yahoo.com)

 

Pope Francis Says: “Because always, even in the darkest moments, in moments of sin, in moments of weakness, in moments of failure, I have seen Jesus, and I trust Him. He has not left me alone.”

 

Thank You, Lord, for answering the fervent prayer of Your servant.

 

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, martyr, pray for us.

Have you completely renounced all occult practices and only rely on God’s goodness and mercy? - Daily Bible Reflections June 20,2016

WHERE DO YOU PUT

YOUR FAITH?

 

They venerated other gods. – 2 Kings 17:7

 

       Decades ago, I’d always check the horoscope to see how my day would turn out. It wouldn’t hurt to check, right? I didn’t realize how wrong I was. Eventually, I stopped because I found it too farfetched that people with the same zodiac sign will all have the same luck.

       Only after a priest explained how the horoscope was a replacement for God did I realize how subtly the devil had worked in my life then.

       Unknowingly, I had put my faith on something other than God. Feng shui, anting-anting or amulets, ouija board, spirit of the glass, fortune-telling with cards, crystal balls, palm reading and even your mole, and other occult practices fall in the same category as horoscopes. They all undermine our faith in God’s providence and protection. Instead of relying on God, we put our trust in these. It’s tantamount to idolatry.

       Do you still serve any of these false gods by relying on them? Stop now and confess. And put your faith solely in the One True God. Jun Asis (mabuting.balita@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: Have you completely renounced all occult practices and only rely on God’s goodness and mercy?

 

Lord, in You alone I put my faith. Into Your hands, I place my life. Do with it as You please.

 

St. Paulinus of Nola, pray for us.

If the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be. – Matthew 6:23 - Daily Bible Reflections June 17,2016

ROOM IN YOUR HEART

 

If the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be. – Matthew 6:23

 

       I am presently living in New Zealand where a few months of the year, the sun sets late in the evening, sometimes as late as 9 p.m. So you get to do a lot of things late into the night.

       I happily take advantage of this to move around and do errands, visit some place or do whatever my husband and I want to do while there is still some light.

      This makes me wonder how it would feel to live in the Antarctic where, for several months of the year, it is just night.

       Inside us, there is darkness and light. Light is hope, faith and love. Darkness is unforgiveness, cynicism and resentment, to name a few. One gives us room to move, to be happy, and to really live. The other curtails our life’s movement.

       How lit is the room in your heart? Have you much room to move? Joyce Sosoban-Roa (jsosoban@gmail.com)

 

Pope Francis Says: “From my point of view, God is the light that illuminates the darkness, even if it does not dissolve it, and a spark of divine light is within each of us.”

 

Dear Lord, sometimes my darkness is so dark that I’m not even aware of it. Have mercy on me, Lord. Let Your love shine Your light in my life.

 

St. Joseph Cafasso, pray for us.

How has the quality of your prayer time improved over the years? - Daily Bible Reflections June 16, 2016

PRAYER   Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:8          I was buying something online but I couldn’t complete my transaction.       I called my credit card company and a recorded message asked me to select among five options. Then it asked me to select among another four. Then enter my credit card number. Then choose among another set of options. Finally, there was an option to speak to someone! When I chose it, I was asked to wait for someone to be available to talk to me.      When I finally heard a live voice, I was asked for my credit card number and a bunch of questions to confirm it was really mine. By the time she understood and addressed my concern, I had been on the phone for 30 minutes.        Talk about a long process.     I’m so glad talking to God is not complicated. No queue, no veri-fication, no complex process just to be heard. He taught us just how easy it is to pray. Plus, He already knows exactly what we need, so there’s no need for the long drawn explanation. We are certain He understands clearly. Kitty D. Ferreria (kittydulay@yahoo.com)   Reflection: How has the quality of your prayer time improved over the years?   Lord, help me establish and improve my prayer time.   St. John Francis Regis, pray for us.

How has the quality of your prayer time improved over the years? - Daily Bible Reflections June 16, 2016

PRAYER   Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:8          I was buying something online but I couldn’t complete my transaction.       I called my credit card company and a recorded message asked me to select among five options. Then it asked me to select among another four. Then enter my credit card number. Then choose among another set of options. Finally, there was an option to speak to someone! When I chose it, I was asked to wait for someone to be available to talk to me.      When I finally heard a live voice, I was asked for my credit card number and a bunch of questions to confirm it was really mine. By the time she understood and addressed my concern, I had been on the phone for 30 minutes.        Talk about a long process.     I’m so glad talking to God is not complicated. No queue, no veri-fication, no complex process just to be heard. He taught us just how easy it is to pray. Plus, He already knows exactly what we need, so there’s no need for the long drawn explanation. We are certain He understands clearly. Kitty D. Ferreria (kittydulay@yahoo.com)   Reflection: How has the quality of your prayer time improved over the years?   Lord, help me establish and improve my prayer time.   St. John Francis Regis, pray for us.

And your Father who sees what is done in secret will repay you. – Matthew 6:6 - Daily Bible Reflections June 15, 2016

DO YOU WANT TO

KNOW A SECRET?

 

And your Father who sees what is done in secret will repay you. – Matthew 6:6

 

        “I have a secret,” says my friend. I lean towards her and I’m all ears. I can’t tell you the secret but I can tell you that I am happy she trusts me enough to share what’s important to her.

      Prayer is like this. It is an intimate conversation between close friends. I can tell God my deepest secrets and I believe He also wants to share His with us. “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know,” He said in Jeremiah 3:33.

       I learned that God loves the humble and hidden things. In Sri Lanka, there is a beautiful and rare flower called kadupul, which blooms fully at midnight and completely wilts before dawn. No one sees it blooming and dying, but I believe it makes God smile.

       There is also the snow gum tree, whose height is proportional to the depth of its roots. Like this tree, we will grow to our fullest potential when our roots are nourished in prayer. What we do in secret will bear fruit, like a person whose skin glows because of the healthy food he eats. What is done in secret is ultimately rewarded by God’s overflowing love and generous servings of the fruits of His Spirit. Marjorie Ann Duterte (marjorie.travels@gmail.com)

 

Pope Francis Says: “Praise is the ‘breath’ which gives us life, because it is intimacy with God, an intimacy that grows through daily praise.”

 

Lover of hidden things, draw us close to Your heart and tell us great and unsearchable things we do not know.

 

St. Marguerite d’ Youville, pray for us.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? (Matthew 5:46) - Daily Bible Reflections June 14,2016

RANTINGS OF A

WRITER

 

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” – Matthew 5:44

 

     “If you’re horrible to me, I’m going to write a song about it, and you won’t like it. That’s how I operate.”

       I couldn’t help chuckling when I read this quotable quote from young, beautiful singing sensation Taylor Swift.

       I am a writer. I blog. And I admit, I am sometimes tempted to operate like Taylor Swift says she does. You know — when people do horrible things to me, I feel like writing something they won’t like.

       I’ve had my share of rejections and persecutions. I get angry. I weep and gnash my teeth. I rant to someone who would empathize with me, take my side. I rant and rant before God.

      And then, I somehow hear today’s reading: “Love your enemies.” I roll my eyes and rant some more — that what God is telling me to do is not that easy.

     But at the end of the day, all I do is this: write — not my actual rantings — but just how I rant.

    And well, I pray today’s Psalm 51… Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love… Cynthia U. Santiago (cusantiago@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? (Matthew 5:46)

 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

 

St. Albert Chmielowski, pray for us.

If anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. – Matthew 5:41 - Daily Bible Reflections June 13,2016

GO THE EXTRA MILE!

 

If anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.  – Matthew 5:41

 

     In my experience, there are five types of poverty mentality. The Trapped Belief says, “I was born poor and will remain poor for the rest of my life.”

       The Juan Tamad Belief, says, “No amount of effort can make me rich, so I will just be lazy for the rest of my life.”

       The Wish-Ko-Lang Belief says, “My only chance to become rich is to win the lotto or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire show.”

      The Rich-Is-Evil Belief says, “I hate the rich and don’t want to become rich. The rich demean and oppress the poor.”

      Finally, the Con Belief says, “Because the rich are evil, let’s cheat and steal from them so they’ll be as miserable as us.”

     But the Gospel teaches there’s a sure-fire way to become affluent. And that’s to go the extra mile! We don’t just give what we can. We give our very best and never stop improving, never stop growing, never stop giving. This is what Anglican theologian John Wesley meant when he said, “Work… earn… save… give as much as you can.”

      Real wealth is enriching your life so that you can enrich others. Go the extra mile, my friend, and all these things shall be added unto you. Obet Cabrillas (kpreacherobet@gmail.com)

 

Pope Francis Says: “When we are generous in welcoming people and sharing something with them — some food, a place in our homes, our time — not only do we no longer remain poor: we are enriched.”

 

Bless me, Lord, that I can work, earn, save and give as much as I can.

 

St. Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church, pray for us.

Do you have a personal relationship with God? Search for Him in the simple things and realize how big His love for you is - Daily Bible Reflections June 10,2016

SEARCH AND LISTEN

 

After the earthquake, there was fire — but the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire, there was a tiny whispering sound. – 1 Kings 19:12

 

       Hubert was going through a difficult time. He was in desperate need for a job. One Sunday afternoon, he tuned in to a radio program that announced job opportunities. He had planned to take notes but fell asleep soon after. He woke up listening to a Catholic radio program where I serve as a co-anchor.

       Our program airs testimonies of people who met God and now have a relationship with Him. Hubert began to listen to our program every Sunday afternoon. Then He came to one of our prayer meetings and has since been a regular attendee. Things in his life started to fall into place after he started a relationship with Jesus.

       Hubert’s story reminds us that God does not always come in big, grand ways. Elijah didn’t find God in the fearsome fire and earthquake but in a “tiny whispering.” Hubert did not meet God in a big worship concert or through a powerful preacher. He accidentally listened to a radio program as he was searching for a solution to his personal problems. Finding God became the starting point in solving his problems. Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com)

 

Reflection: Do you have a personal relationship with God? Search for Him in the simple things and realize how big His love for you is.

 

Lord, make me sensitive to the nuances of Your movement in my life.

 

Blessed Joachima, pray for us.