Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethle-hem, in Judea, during the days of king Herod, wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star in the East and have come to honor him.”
When Herod heard this he was greatly disturbed, and with him all Jerusalem. He immediately called a meeting of all high-ranking priests and teachers of the law, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

“In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they told him, “for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah, for from you will come a leader, one who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions, “Go and get accurate information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I, too, may go and honor him.”
After the meeting with the king, they set out. The star that they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. The wise men were overjoyed on seeing the star again. They went into the house, and when they saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt and worshiped him. They opened their bags and offered him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.
In a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their home country by another way.

Lectio Divina
Read: Isaiah prophesies about the dawn of the Light of the nations. Paul speaks of the great revelation of the Mystery that offers redemption to all, Jews and Gentiles alike. Matthew narrates the visit of the Magi, guided by the Star, to the babe of Bethlehem, the Light and Desire of the nations.
Reflect: Why did the Star in the East lead the Magi via Herod’s Palace? Couldn’t have the Star guided them straight all the way to Bethlehem? Perhaps it was part of God’s grand design that the way of the Magi should include a stopover at Herod’s, announcing the Good News to his household as well. Like the sower who lets the seed fall on rocks and thorny bushes.... You are beginning a year-long journey today. If your journey does not go like a straight arrow, but involves detours, do not panic – God has a reason to take you through such terrain. Just do not lose sight of the Star. And do not forget to sow the seed of God’s Good News whichever terrain the Star takes you through.
Pray: Lord, give me the grace to keep my eyes fixed on your Star throughout this year and walk the path it leads me through.
Act: Bless ahead: Say a prayer of blessing for all the people you would be meeting this year.

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 (57^th 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
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Gospel: Mk 1:7-11 (or Lk 3:23-38)
John the Baptist preached to the people, saying, “After me comes one who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And the moment he came up out of the water, heaven opened before him, and he saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And these words were heard from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.”

Reflections
YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
The most valuable, most important reality in this world is LIFE! Everything else is of less value than life. It is God’s greatest gift to us. Have we ever wondered why, with the infinite number of possible beings, we are the ones who has been given this most precious gift – life? From the moment we wake up we encounter the blessings of life — the sunshine shi ning through our window, the water that refreshes us as we shower, the smile of loved ones as they greet us at the breakfast table, the garden outside your door where you can smell the flowers, admire the butterflies, shelter under the trees. Even the trials, the pains, the sufferings, the challenges that we encounter in life intensify the wonder of life.
It is also true, however, that the surest thing in life is death! Everyone who is born will die. Yes, you and me also. Sooner or later. It is our most natural instinct to shrink from death and to cling to life. And so God gave us a greater gift – ETERNAL LIFE. We cannot actually imagine what this means — in spite of all the stories of near-death experiences we have read. As for myself, I have stopped speculating or imagining what it would be. What I am convinced of – is that after my death, I WILL BE WITH GOD. How that will be, I don’t know. I will let myself be pleasantly surprised.
Meanwhile I am thankful to be alive. I live my life to the full and with joy!

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 (57^th 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

Gospel: Jn 1:43-51
     The next day, Jesus decided to set off for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets: he is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
      Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree, and I saw you.”
     Nathanael answered, “Master, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said, ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that.
Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Reflections
THERE IS NO FALSEHOOD IN HIM
      Jesus seldom praises a person in public. But when he saw Nathanael, he said in undisguised admiration: THERE IS NO FALSEHOOD IN HIM. Another version says: THERE IS NO GUILE IN HIM which adds the subtle nuance of INNOCENCE. A person with no guile is one who is wholely herself/himself. There is no pretense, no hidden agendas, no artifice, no complication, no masks — absolutely transparent. What you see is what you get.
        In our society, there is so much falsehood, pretense and hypocrisy. Corrupt government officials are living in continuous lie because they have to cover up all the time the many false transactions and bloated budgets that make up their day. The campaign speeches of political candidates are replete with blatant falsehood, hidden agendas, false promises they do not mean to keep. Even the Church is not immune from falsehood. There are priests who make moralistic homilies in the pulpit and yet are guilty of sexual abuse.
        In our personal lives we meet temptations to cheat, to pretend, to tell lies, to bear false witness against our neighbors, to live double lives. In this atmosphere of falsehood, it is indeed refreshing to meet a “person with no guile” who personifies truth, authenticity and integrity.

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 (57^th 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

Gospel: Jn 1:35-42
     On the following day, John was standing there again, with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and said, “There is the Lamb of God.” On hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. He turned and saw them following, and he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They answered, “Rabbi (which means Master), where are you staying?” Jesus said, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he stayed, and spent the rest of that day with him. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
       Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard what John had said, and followed Jesus. Early the next morning, he found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means the Christ), and he brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John, but you shall be called Cephas” (which means Rock).

Reflections
COME AND SEE
       When Jesus invited his disciples by telling them: COME AND SEE, they left everything behind — father, boat, fish catch, work, etc — and followed him. We also hear similar invitations at different points of our life — from childhood to adolescence to youth to adulthood to midlife to old age. Sometimes we experience crisis at these transitions. Chinese calligraphy has the same character for “crisis” and for “opportunity”. So these crisis points are opportunities for growth and development — to perceive more challenges, to meet more impulses for transformation. There is a tendency to want to stay where one is and not to make the step ahead. We cling to what is familiar and have some fear of the unknown. But we will grow and develop to the extent that we leave our comfort zones. And as we experience both successes and failures, accomplishments and diminishment, if we learn from them, we will grow not only in age but in wisdom.

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 (57^th 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