The Kerygma Family: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH Daily Bible Reflections for June 26, 2014 Be blessed by His Creative Word this Thursday! Praying for you, Bo Sanchez PS. Do you live in the Philippines? Sign up for Bos weekly cellphone message. This is FREE. (That is why you have to live in the Philippines to sign up for this service.) Text: BOSEZ__ and send to any of the following numbers: Globe (09178494444); Sun (09228945555) And youll start receiving Bos inspiring message to encourage you, guide you, and bless your week. 26 June Thursday TODAYS READINGS: DIDACHE CHECK YOUR ATLAS “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” – Matthew 7:24 There was a time when I visited a chiropractor for my neck and shoulder pains. I learned from him that many illnesses arise when our spinal column is misaligned. Out of our 33 vertebrae, the first thing chiropractors look at is our atlas, the first and the highest one found at the base of our skull. If this bone is not in its right position, all the other vertebrae will twist accordingly. This will result in squeezing the nerves that branch out of the spinal column towards our other organs and will cause all kinds of sickness and conditions. Doesn’t life operate this way too? If our lives aren’t centered on Jesus, we’ll easily lose our way. Wrong may seem right when we’re pushed to the wall. Our problems can look big and intimidating. It’s so easy to forget that our God is great and can do the impossible. But if Jesus is the center of our lives, everything will align according to His plan. Rissa Singson-Kawpeng (justbreatherissa@gmail) Reflection: Is your life aligned to God’s will? Lord, be the center of our lives. Blessed Raymond Lull, pray for us. COMPANION 1ST READING The Babylonians sack Jerusalem twice. They first exile the elite of the city in order to subdue the Jewish people; then, when those remaining still do not give in to their rule, they exile everyone and destroy the Temple as well. The Jews were unable to fight their enemies well because of the corruption in their leadership and religious practices. This meant there was no unity of purpose as a people and as a nation. Thus, they were easy prey to conquering armies. 2 Kings 24:8-17 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his forebears had done. 10 At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, himself arrived at the city while his servants were besieging it. 12 Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. 13 He carried off all the treasures of the temple of the Lord and those of the palace, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had foretold. 14 He deported all Jerusalem: all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None were left among the people of the land except the poor. 15 He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother and wives, his functionaries, and the chief men of the land. 16 The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon all seven thousand men of the army, and a thousand craftsmen and smiths, all of them trained soldiers. 17 In place of Jehoiachin, the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king, and changed his name to Zedekiah. P S A L M Psalm 79:1-2, 3-5, 8, 9 R: For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. 1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the corpses of your servants as food to the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth. (R) 3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. 4 We have become the reproach of our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. (R) 5 O Lord, how long? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? (R) 8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. (R) GOSPEL Our faith is more than just believing in God. Our faith is a call to action. We are called to embrace discipleship — to grow in holiness every day as we seek to embrace a life of virtue and imitate Christ. This is why the lives of the saints are so important for us in trying to live a holy life. They provide numerous examples of how people have accomplished this task down through the centuries. The practical details are important; however, it is their attitude and determination to follow Christ that should first inspire us. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. Matthew 7:21-29 21 Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ 24 “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 26 And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” 28 When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. think: We are called to embrace discipleship – to grow in holiness every day as we seek to embrace a life of virtue and imitate Christ. SABBATH . ROCKS AND SAND The Gospel marks the end of the discourse of Jesus on the Beatitudes. Through Jesus’ parable about the rocks and sand, He explains to His disciples that our lives are to be built on the foundation of His Word. It is not enough to call out to Him as Lord; we must accompany our faith by action and good deeds. What is the will of God? John the Evangelist says to believe in God or Father and the Anointed One whom He has sent is doing the will of God. Furthermore, faith must be made manifest through our works. We see in Jesus one who totally submitted to the will of God in His life, person and ministry. We are to do the same. Following Jesus, adhering to His commands, assisting His disciples and others who need our support — this is the way of our religion. How do we listen to the Word of the Lord? Many opportunities await us every day. Read the Holy Bible and pray over selected passages. Listen to talks and attend seminars that will boost your faith and develop your knowledge. Find a good spiritual director or wise person who can walk with you, a friend with whom you can discuss your problems and spiritual life. Attending Bible studies and joining a faith community or parish prayer groups are excellent means of listening to the Word of the Lord and growing in knowledge of His will in your life. How does one act on the Word of the Lord? Putting God’s Word into practice in our daily lives is an excellent way of growing in virtue. Many of Paul’s writings have practical advice on living the Christian life. Many books are written to assist us in practicing the Word of God. Moving in ways of charity is a way of acting on the Word of the Lord and putting it into practice. Most especially, through those moments of prayer in loving conversation with the Lord, we will learn to act on the Word of God, following the prompting and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL REFLECTION QUESTION: How can you better listen and act on the words of the Lord? May my life be like a house built on rock and not sand, Lord. Amen
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 20:39:17 +0000