Close your eyes and recall five things God has done for you lately. And then respond - Daily Bible Reflections January 6,2015

FIRST MOVE

 

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. – 1 John 4:10

 

       “I have a boyfriend!” exclaimed my five-year-old niece, Mireya. He was her classmate in preschool. We all had a good laugh about it because apparently, she was the one who asked him to be her boyfriend! But later on, we found out that this classmate was the one who kept her company on her first day of school when she was still too shy to mingle with the other kids. So, in her eyes, he made the “first move.”

       Come to think of it, I tend to treat others the way I’ve been treated. When I remember how I’ve been loved, I love. When I forget that, I can be selfish and rude.

         As Christians, lots of times, we think we make the first move with God. We serve, we forgive others, we offer our sacrifices, etc. But isn’t everything we do actually a response to how He has shown us love? He served us first when He became man. He forgave us first, on the cross. He offered the supreme sacrifice of His life. George Tolentino Gabriel (george.g@svrtv.com)

 

Reflection: Close your eyes and recall five things God has done for you lately. And then respond.

 

Lord, thank You for loving me first. I now choose to love others.

 

St. Andre Bessette, religious, pray for us.

Do you feel you don’t deserve to ask God for anything? How big do you think His heart is?

GOD’S PA

 

… we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. – 1 John 3:22

 

        My friends and I had a mountain of assignments as the production crew and personal assistants (PA) for our community event. We struggled with finding time for the preparations in the midst of our already hectic schedules.

       Because of that, one of my friends prioritized her other assigned speakers over a speaker who is a friend. She got a lot of ribbing from us with the way she was “ignoring” his needs, especially when she expressed her wish to join him in the banquet hall as his PA. She got teased some more when she reported late for duty. We were all there for an early call time. So imagine the howl of good-natured protest which arose when she was the only one among us who was privileged to join the bigwigs in the banquet hall.

       But come to think of it, it wasn’t really unfair. She was probably blessed because, beyond this particular assignment, she had been God’s good and faithful servant who sacrificed a lot for the community. And besides, she was the only one who asked. It was simply a case of a delighted God granting her what she asked for. Lella M. Santiago (lellams88@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: Do you feel you don’t deserve to ask God for anything? How big do you think His heart is?

 

Lord Jesus, when I’m feeling unworthy, remind me about Your blind love for me.

 

St. John Neumann, bishop, pray for us.

The future is bright! Are you doing your part to make it happen? - God Whispers January 2,2015

The future is bright!  Are you doing your part to make it happen?
 

Stand amazed,
God
 

P.S. I've prepared what you need for your amazing future.

God’s love for you as His child is not a result of your own efforts. It’s pure grace. Embrace it. - Daily Bible Reflections January 3,2015

BY BIRTH,

NOT BY WORTH

 

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. – 1 John 3:1

 

       Remember the Parable of the Prodigal Son? When the son found himself in the pig-pit of life, hungry, he decided to make a shameful comeback to his father’s house. He then decided to write a speech to convince his father to take him back. He wrote:

       “Dear Dad, I’ve sinned against heaven, against you, against everyone, and I am no longer worthy to be your son...” (paraphrased from Luke 15:18-19).

       There’s a problem with his speech. What does he mean by, “I am no longer worthy”? When was he ever worthy? He was never worthy in the first place (so was the other brother).

       Friend, we have never been and will never be worthy enough to be called beloved children of God. It’s never been about how good or bad we are. Being God’s son or daughter has nothing to do with being worthy. We are His children by birth, not by worth. Our sonship is not based on our performance, but on the finished performance of Christ and our faith in His finished work. Mike Viñas (mikemichaelfcv@yahoo.com)

 

Reflection: God’s love for you as His child is not a result of your own efforts. It’s pure grace. Embrace it.

 

Father, thank You, for it is by grace that I have been saved through faith — and this is not from me, it is Your gift. It is not from my works, so I cannot boast. Amen.

 

St. Genevieve, pray for us.