The Kerygma Family: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH Daily Bible Reflections for May 6, 2014 God has a great plan for your life?including this Tuesday. 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. 6 May Tuesday TODAYS READINGS: DIDACHE THANK YOU, CARDINALS! “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” – Acts 7:56 “White smoke!” the text message came in at 2:06 a.m. of March 14, 2013. I immediately rose up from bed and turned on the TV. Seeing the multitude of people gathered in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, jubilant at the much-awaited white smoke coming out of the chimney of Sistine Chapel, I couldn’t help but rejoice as well. When Pope Francis came out and just stood there for a few minutes, it was like seeing Jesus being baptized at the River Jordan and hearing God’s voice saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And when Pope Francis started speaking, I sensed a gentle and affectionate person who’s very much in touch with God in the present moment. He led the crowd in praying for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and before he gave his blessing, he asked them to pray silently for him. What humility! I thank the Cardinal electors for listening well to the Holy Spirit and letting His voice be heard through their votes. May God continue to speak through Pope Francis, His chosen one, as he navigates the Catholic Church amidst the challenges it faces today. Tess V. Atienza (svp_tvatienza@yahoo) Reflection: How do you regard the Vicar of Christ on earth? Say a prayer for him each day. Lord, thank You for sending Pope Francis to us to lead Your Church. Keep Him in Your embrace. Sts. Marian and James, pray for us. COMPANION 1ST READING Stephen is not going to compromise. He will not allow the people to think that they are guiltless in their ignorance. If they are ignorant of the love of God and the Gospel it is because they choose to be so. This is a sin in itself. I often talk to people who seem to want to avoid knowing too much about God lest their newfound knowledge demands that they change the way they live. This is a very unfortunate position to take as it runs the danger of missing out on the gift of salvation. Acts 7:51-8:1 51 Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. 53 You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” 54 When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. 58 They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. 8:1 Now Saul was consenting to his execution. P S A L M Psalm 31:3-4, 6, 7, 8, 17, 21 R: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. 2 [3] Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety. 3 [4] You are my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me. (R) 5 [6] Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God. 6 [7] My trust is in the Lord; 7 [8] I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy. (R) 16 [17] Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness. 20 [21] You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plottings of men. (R) GOSPEL Jesus claims that He is the greatest of all the figures in history sent by God. For the Jews, Moses is the greatest of the ancient figures of their faith. Jesus claims that He is greater than Moses. This is one of the main themes of John’s Gospel, something that we should note as we read through it. All the figures, ideas and promises of the Old Testament will be fulfilled in the person of Jesus. This is what it means to call Him Son of God. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION I am the bread of life, says the Lord; whoever comes to me will never hunger. John 6:30-35 30 The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” think: All the figures, ideas and promises of the Old Testament will be fulfilled in the person of Jesus. SABBATH WHO HAS THE POWER? When we read about people looking for signs in the Scriptures, we can assume that behind the action is their search for the origin of the power behind the sign. It is not the sign that is important but what it signifies and, in this case, the people are looking for the origin of the power exercised in the creation of the sign. Too often in the Scriptures, the people attribute the power to the intermediary and not to God. Too often, the Jews focus on the person who manifests the sign or power, instead of looking up to God who, by His grace and omnipotent power, is the one at work behind all that is good. When we focus on the messenger and not the origin of the grace received, we distort both our understanding of the immediate manifestation of the grace and our relationship with both the intermediary and God. This is not good. Our focus and energies get misdirected and misled. Jesus is constantly telling the people to look beyond Moses or Elijah or the one who is manifesting God’s Word and will to them, and focus instead on the person of God. We have a personal God who desires to have an individual relationship with us. This is one of the beauties and wonders of Judaism and Christianity. God invites us into His presence in order to relate to us in the precise manner that we individually need. God is not some sort of amorphous power who deigns to interact with Creation every now and then. No, God is a personal God and He wants to make His way of relating to us personal. This is why He has created us in His own image and likeness — so that we are able to relate with Him on our own free will. It is impossible to stay distant from God and be in His good graces. God is up-close and personal, whether we like it or not. The dangers of an overly devotional faith is its tendency to keep God at a distance. In any communal expression of praise and worship, the challenge is to keep our faith experience intimate and personal. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your relationship with God like? Are you comfortable with the idea of an up-close and personal God? Holy Spirit, draw me into Your presence more deeply each day. Help me to open my heart and mind more fully to the blessings of a God who desires a personal relationship with me.
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 22:51:09 +0000
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