Reflections of Faith
Read and be inspired by a reflection based on today's Gospel made by members of the Verbum Dei Family in Manila.
4/4/2020
Daily Guidelines: April 4, 2020April 4, 2020 - Saturday
Gospel: JN 11:45-56 Jesus stayed with his disciples The Pharisees and Jews mocked Jesus’ doings and restrained him from doing more to the people. However, Jesus responded with nothing but an action of love. He went out to the wilderness and stayed with his disciples after all the happenings. We are stuck in our own homes right now because of the quarantine as means to fight the virus. We are in the wilderness with Jesus during this Lent. As we stay home, let us continue to be more faithful because Jesus stays with us as well amid uncertainty. Mother Mary, help us to stay with Jesus as we continue to live in this trying time. Amen. #PrayVD
4/3/2020
Daily Guidelines: April 3, 2020April 3, 2020 - Friday
Gospel: JN 10:31-42 Know that the Father is in me and I in the Father In our gospel, Jesus experienced rejection from the Jews. However, he stood his ground and anchored his faith firmly in his Father’s promise of protection. “Again, they tried to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands.” Putting our trust completely to God is something easier said than done especially in this current crisis that we are facing. But Jesus continues to invite and inspire us to trust even more firmly and to be rooted in the love of God to us and to all his people. Mother Mary, may we be able to survive the challenges that we are facing and continue to trust more and firmly into God’s love for the humanity. Amen. #PrayVD
4/2/2020
Daily Guidelines: April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 - Thursday
Gospel: JN 8:51-59 I know Him and I keep His word! The message of Jesus to his disciples talks about his confidence and full trust to the Father. “I know him and if I were to say that I don’t know him, I would be liar like you. But I know him and I keep his words.” Jesus is obedient to the Father’s will. What are the things that God might be challenging you to leave behind in order to know him more and keep his words? Mother Mary, continue to invite us to walk with trust in our hearts so that Jesus can lead me to the Father in this Lenten journey. Amen. #PrayVD
4/1/2020
Daily Guidelines: April 1, 2020April 1, 2020 - Wednesday
Gospel: JN 8:31-42 The truth that I learned from God the Father Our gospel today is about the conversation of Jesus with disciples on how we can be true disciples. One may say, “I have faith” through words but how are we to prove our faith? Jesus shared the truth that He learned from God the Father: our faith must be backed up by our own actions and not just merely words. How does our own faith create a difference in the world we live in today? Mother Mary, help us as we create change daily no matter how small it is. May our faith be transformed into concrete actions for the betterment of everyone. Amen. #PrayVD
3/31/2020
Daily Guidelines: March 31, 2020March 31, 2020 - Tuesday
Gospel: JN 8:21-30 The one who sent me is truthful How has been your Lenten journey? Are we like the Jews in the gospel? Stuck in our sins and disbelief in our current destination? Especially in this uncertain time, we can fall into great fear and disbelief in what is happening to our world. However, Jesus is assured that the Father is with him in His journey to the cross. “The one who sent me is truthful and everything I learned from him”. Jesus continues to show us the way to the Father. Do you trust God’s words in this time? Mother Mary, give us the grace to have the same full trust in God just as Jesus did. Amen. #PrayVD
3/30/2020
Daily Guidelines: March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 -Monday
Gospel: JN 8:1-11 Jesus bent down As we enter the 5th week of Lent, we are invited to reflect on the story of an adulterous woman presented to Jesus. The Pharisees did this to put Jesus to test. However, Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground twice. In this time of crisis, many things are challenging our faith with the Lord. Jesus is inviting us to bend down and pray like what he did with the woman. How can we pray? Look closer into our hearts and discover the goodness within the people and the situation we are in right now. Mother Mary, accompany us during this time to grow more closer to Jesus and God the Father as we continue our Lenten journey in this difficult time. Amen. #PrayVD
3/29/2020
Daily Guidelines: March 29, 2020March 29, 2020 Sunday
Gospel: John 11:1-45 "Forgive my little faith." ("Lazarus" by Corrinne May) There were times when we feel that it was dead-end for us but there was Jesus who always reminds us that there is still life and hope for us. Today's Gospel narrates to us how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. But before He did it, there was Martha who cried out to Jesus expressing her sorrow on the loss of her brother. With this, Jesus reassured her that He is the resurrection and the life. Sometimes we are like Martha who display lapses of faith. But Jesus will never leave us. He gives us hope when we experience despair, he gives us life in times when we are spiritless. Let us ask Mother Mary to help us strengthen our faith in times when we need Jesus to be our aide and guide. #PrayVD
3/28/2020
Daily Guidelines: March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 Saturday
Gospel: John 7:40-53 "The crowd was divided over Him." (cf. John 7:43) In our present time, the enemies of the truth devise delicate ways to divide the people through feeding them with abundant information that are not true - trolling with fake news. The same picture could be seen in today's Gospel with the people being divided in their beliefs about Jesus - it was confusion to the highest order. But one man stood out, and it was Nicodemus who spoke among the officers of the temple to know the truth first. May we be like Nicodemus who have the courage to influence others into knowing the truth first before believing and sharing the information that we receive. Let us be vigilant with things that we share to other people. #PrayVD
3/27/2020
Daily Guidelines: March 27, 2020March 27, 2020 Friday
Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 "I was sent by the One who is true." (cf. John 7:28) Today, Jesus loudly announced the truth to the people - that He was sent by the One who is true. Though He knew that this might provoke the people into killing Him, He stood courageous in expressing the truth. In these days when various information could be easily shared and believed, some people are taking the opportunity to fool the innocent through their act of "trolling". May we be not like the people in today's Gospel - only believing with hearsays that they receive. Let us have the initiative to know the truth and courage to express it as Jesus did. #PrayVD
3/26/2020
Daily Guidelines: March 26, 2020March 26, 2020 Thursday
Gospel: John 5:31-47 Witnesses to Jesus It might be impossible to testify to things that our bare eyes cannot see but it is inevitable for faithful to stand as witnesses as they concretely encounter Jesus in their lives. In today's Gospel, Jesus expressed His frustration to the Jews with their disbelief to Him. Though they personally encounter the Son of Man in flesh, they still cannot believe the wonders that He had made. Today, we are invited to hold on to our faith as we encounter Jesus and to stand as witnesses to His presence in our lives. #PrayVD |
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