SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Psalter: Proper / (White)

Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

1st Reading: Is 49:1-6

Listen to me, O islands, pay attention, people from distant lands.
Yahweh called me from my mother’s womb; he pronounced my name before I was born.
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword.
He hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a polished arrow set apart in his quiver.
He said to me, “You are Israel, my servant,
Through you I will be known.”
“I have labored in vain,” I thought, “and spent my strength for nothing.”
Yet what is due me was in the hand of Yahweh, and my reward was with my God.
I am important in the sight of Yahweh, and my God is my strength.
And now Yahweh has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him.
He said: “It is not enough that you be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel.
I will make you the light of the nations, that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth.”

2nd Reading: Acts 13:22-26

After that time, God removed him and raised up David as king, to whom he bore witness saying: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all I want him to do.

It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised Savior of Israel, Jesus. Before he appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. As John was ending his life’s work, he said: ‘I am not what you think I am for, after me, another one is coming, whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’ Brothers, children and descendants of Abraham, and you, also, who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent.

Gospel: Lk 1:57-66, 80

 When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her, and they rejoiced with her.

When, on the eighth day, they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name!” and they made signs to his father for the name he wanted to give him. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet, and wrote on it, “His name is John;” and they were very surprised. Immediately, Zechariah could speak again, and his first words were in praise of God.

A holy fear came on all in the neighborhood, and throughout the hill country of Judea the people talked about these events. All who heard of it pondered in their minds and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.

 

Lectio Divina

Read: “Yahweh called me from my mother’s womb”: Isaiah proclaims the sacredness and personal worth of every life fashioned by God. John the Baptist had a unique mission given by God. He was set apart from the very beginnings of his life, as Zechariah and Elizabeth had already known.

Reflect: It is tempting for parents to consider their children to be extensions of their own lives, who should preserve the lineage and family interests or achieve the unfulfilled dreams of their own lives. The birth of John is a sharp rebuttal to such automated expectations. Every child is a unique creation of God with a clear mission from Him to fulfill. She or he may become even a total rupture from the family interests and traditions and they will inhabit a world unfamiliar to us. Our task as parents and mentors is to rein in our narcissistic dreams for them and help them discern and realize God’s dreams for them.

Pray: Pray for the children of the world to grow God-centered.

Act: Talk to a child enabling her/him to recognize her/his primary belongingness to God and what it entails.

Daily Reflection 2018

Bible Diary ® is a product of Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

 

Bible Diary ® 2018
Copyright © 2O17 
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
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1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
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Daily Reflection 2018

11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Blessed Virgin Mary
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green/White)

Ps 89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34
Forever I will maintain my love for my servant.

1st Reading: 2 Chr 24:17-25*

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came to pay court to the king, and the king now turned to them for advice. The Judaeans abandoned the house of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He sent them prophets to bring them back to Yahweh, but when the prophets spoke, they would not listen. The spirit of God took control of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said, “God says this: Why are you disobeying the commandments of Yahweh? You cannot prosper. You have abandoned Yahweh and he will abandon you.” They then plotted against him and, by order of the king, stoned him in the court of Yahweh’s house. King Joash forgot the kindness of Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, and killed Jehoiada’s son who cried out as he died, “Let Yahweh see and do justice!” (…)

 

Gospel: Mt 6:24-34

 No one can serve two masters; for he will either hate one and love the other; or he will be loyal to the first and look down on the second. You cannot, at the same time, serve God and money.

Therefore, I tell you, not to be worried about food and drink for yourself, or about clothes for your body. Is not life more important than food; and is not the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest, and do not store food in barns; and yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not less worthy than they are?

Can any of you add a day to your life by worrying about it? Why are you so worried about your clothes? Look at how the flowers in the fields grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, that not even Solomon, in all his glory, was clothed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass in the field, which blooms today and is to be burned in an oven tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you? What little faith you have!

Do not worry, and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? or: What shall we wear? The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart, first, on the kingdom and righteousness of God; and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Reflections

your heavenly Father knows that you need them all

Jesus extols us not to worry, as the Father provides for our needs, just as he provides for the needs of the birds in the air and the flowers in the field. But how can the poor not worry, they who rummage through garbage in order to find scraps of food with which to feed their children?

 That majority of humanity are living in poverty is an affront to God. That people die of starvation is an offense against the God who has created an abundant world to provide for the needs of all.

Daily Reflection 2018

Bible Diary ® is a product of Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

 

Bible Diary ® 2018
Copyright © 2O17 
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com
Daily Reflection 2018

 

11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Paulinus of Nola, bishop / St. John Fisher, bishop & martyt / St. Thomas More, martyr
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green/White/Red)

Ps 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18
The Lord has chosen Zion
for his dwelling.

1st Reading: 2 K 11:1-4, 9-18, 20*

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son had died, she was determined to wipe out all the descendants of the king. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, her nephew, and brought him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed, and put him with his wet nurse in the bedroom. Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that the boy was saved. …

In the seventh year, Jehoiada the chief priest, summoned the officers of the royal guard and of the Carites to the house of Yahweh. After concluding a pact with them under oath, he showed them the king’s son. (…)

Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the king’s son, crowned him and put the bracelets on him, then proclaimed and consecrated him king. (…)

When Athaliah heard the noise of the people, she approached the crowd surrounding the house of Yahweh. The king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the officers and the trumpeters were with him. The people were filled with joy and they were blowing trumpets. On seeing this, Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason, treason!”

Jehoiada the priest commanded the officers, “Surround her and bring her out to the courtyard, and kill anyone who tries to defend her.” (…) They brought her out, and when they reached the palace of the king, by the horses’ entrance, there, they killed her. Jehoiada made a Covenant between Yahweh and the king and the people so they would be the people of Yahweh. All the citizens went to the temple of Baal and destroyed it. (…) Then Jehoiada, the priest, posted guards over the house of Yahweh. All the citizens were happy and the city was at peace. Now regarding Athaliah, she had died by the sword in the king’s palace.

 

Gospel: Mt 6:19-23

 Do not store up treasures for yourself here on earth, where moth and rust destroy it; and where thieves can steal it. Store up treasures for yourself with God, where no moth or rust can destroy it, nor thief come and steal it.

For where your treasures are, there, also, will your heart be.

The lamp of the body is the eye; if your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light. If your eyes are diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

 

Reflections

Do not store up treasures for yourself here on earth

We amass because we are insecure, anxious and empty within. We constantly buy things and gadgets in order to feel good about ourselves; we accumulate wealth and property in order to find fulfillment. We accumulate in order to still the gnawing hollowness within. But the more we fill in our interior emptiness with things of the world, the more shrill the cry for lasting love and meaning becomes. Tragically, the louder the cry of interior pain, the more acquisitive we become. Finite things cannot fill in our infinite longings. Only infinite love can.

Daily Reflection 2018

Bible Diary ® is a product of Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

 

Bible Diary ® 2018
Copyright © 2O17 
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com
Daily Reflection 2018

11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, religious
Psalter: Week 3 / (White)

Ps 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7
Rejoice in the Lord, you just.

1st Reading: Sir 48:1-14

Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, his words a burning torch. He brought a famine on the people and in his zealous love had them reduced in number.

Speaking in the name of the Lord he closed the heavens, and on three occasions called down fire.

How marvelous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal? By the word of the Most High you brought a dead man back to life; you brought kings to destruction and thrust famous men from their beds.

You heard a rebuke at Sinai and sentences of punishment at Horeb; you anointed kings to be avengers and prophets to succeed you.

You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses.

It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live. Such was Elijah, taken up in a whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit. During his life no leader could shake him, no one dominated him. Nothing was too difficult for him and even in death his body prophesied. In life he worked wonders, in death his deeds were amazing.

 

Gospel: Mt 6:7-15

 When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do; for they believe that, the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him.
    This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
holy be your name,
your kingdom, come,
your will, be done
on earth, as in heaven.
Give us today, our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we forgive those who are in debt to us.
Do not bring us to the test,
but deliver us from the evil one.
If you forgive others their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you.

Reflections

Your Father knows
what you need,
even before you ask him

Gerhard Lohfink explains that the more proper translation of “our daily bread” is “bread for the coming day”. Jesus, together with his disciples, travelled from town to town, preaching and healing. They were often welcomed by families, like Mary, Martha and Lazarus, who provided their meals for the day and sleeping mats for the night. But in other towns they were unwelcome. Jesus thus taught his disciples to pray that the Father provide for their needs the following day through people who would open their hearts and homes to them. May Jesus find dwelling in our hearts and homes.

Daily Reflection 2018

Bible Diary ® is a product of Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL

With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

 

Bible Diary ® 2018
Copyright © 2O17 
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com
Daily Reflection 2018