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.
September 8, 2019 Sunday
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33 “Following does not come without cost” “None of you may become my disciple, if he doesn’t give up everything he has.” We play many roles - a parent, spouse, sibling to brothers and sisters, a friend to so many including our virtual connections. We may be easily distracted by the demands of our various relationships. The key here is setting our priorities. Nothing in the “followers” lives must take precedence over one’s commitment and relationship with God . “Jesus said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37-38 this is the first and greatest commandment. Remember the Rich young man? If one is forced to make an either-or choice between anything on earth and God, loyalty to God must prevail, even if it comes to the extreme of having to give up relationship who stand between you and Christ or all of one’s material possessions. Holy Trinity guide us in our daily option. Help us to Choose Jesus first at all times! Amen! September 7, 2019 Saturday
Gospel: Luke 6:1-5 “Going against the grain” How do people react when you start “doing things differently”? Counter-cultural will never be met with applause. Even powerfully shared by the Prophets and Saints, in most cases it cost their lives. Even Jesus kind of love is met with rejection. Who says following Jesus is easy? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” #PrayVD September 6, 2019 Friday
Gospel: Luke 5:33-39 “New wine must be put into fresh skins” Have you heard about Life Coaching, Personal Branding? There are so many programs out there with the objective of transforming into a “better version of ourselves”. Sounds familiar? Jesus came and lived amongst us. Demonstrating his pure and all embracing love. His manner and disposition were often opposed and contradicted the common norm. It brought to the fore the saving love of God, the value and dignity of humans before anything else. Jesus taught us of love, mercy and compassion. Call it radical, life-changing and giving. It starts with a transformed heart that allows to be open to the truth of Jesus' teaching. This new heart that gives hope to others is the “fresh skin” where love, mercy and compassion flows. Holy Trinity we pray for a new heart like yours. Amen. #PrayVD September 5, 2019 Thursday
Gospel: Luke 5:1-11 “Now go out to where it is deeper, lower your nets to catch some fish” Jesus finished speaking with the crowd. Gave the instruction above to Simon who initially had hesitation in following Jesus and eventually responded by “going into the deep and lowered the nets”. Most often when we get invited to a mission fear, anxiety, insecurity attacks us first. It’s a normal human reaction as we saw in Simon. However, when we go deep into our prayer and encounter with Jesus, we become more aligned to his plans and instructions. Jesus who said, “do not be afraid, you will catch people from now on”, invites us to believe and trust him. The Holy Spirit equips us with the necessary gift for each call. Holy Trinity we pray, increase our trust in you. Amen. #PrayVD September 4, 2019 Wednesday
Gospel: Luke 4:38-44 “I have to go to other towns to announce the good news” Jesus went about his mission. People suffering from many kinds of sickness were brought to Jesus. What kind of sickness do you see around you? At FB alone you will find articles on mental health, autism, cancer, suicide among young people, increasing cases of HIV. What is your take on this? Jesus looked for a solitary place at daybreak to pray and went into another town to announce the good news. Jesus is relentless in pursuing his mission . How about you? Where are you called to respond? #PrayVD September 3,2019 Tuesday
Gospel: Luke4:31-37 “Spoken with Authority” Jesus is a Teacher and also commands evil spirits with authority and power. At work, we often hear our HR Group speak about Talent Assessment and Development. And so each employee gets a Development Plan and goes to training. Unlike in the workplace, by our identity we are Blessed, Empowered, Gifted. We too can receive the gifts of Teaching and driving evil spirits. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us. Come Holy Spirit, we need you. Come Holy Spirit, we pray. Enable us as we are send off to places of missions today. Amen. #PrayVD September 2, 2019 Monday
Gospel: Luke 4:16-30 “He has anointed me” “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” And Jesus added, “today this passage has been fulfilled”. Thank God it’s Monday! How are you today? Tired of work, lost your passion ? Are you in pursuit in finding your mission? The discovery process is unique for each of us. Still, it points us to the truth of our identity, that we are children of God . We are made for Him. We witness today Jesus’ declaration and we are urged to do likewise . To bring the good news of peace, joy, love where we are. Have no fear, God anoints us to our purpose. Holy Trinity please guide us as we begin another week, anoint us with fresh fire to be mindful of the needs of the people around us. Amen. #PrayVD September 1, 2019 Sunday
Gospel: Luke 14:1,7-14 “Because they are not able to pay you back...God will repay you” – cf Luke 14:14 In today’s gospel, Jesus talks about humility and hospitality. He highlights the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, and invites us to embrace them, not out of pity or self-righteousness, but because God loves us despite our own poverty and weaknesses. We are again invited to examine our hearts whenever we give. Jesus reminds us that the best giving is that which cannot be reciprocated. This doesn’t only pertain to giving alms and doing charity work, but also in showing love to those who are poor to appreciate, crippled in their way of thinking, lame in showing appreciation, and blind to justice. Embracing them indeed is very difficult, but let us trust God’s assurance that He Himself will repay. #PrayVD
8/31/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 31, 2019August 31, 2019 Saturday
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30 “To everyone who has, more will be given” – cf Matthew 25:29 The Parable of the Three Servants highlights the importance of how we use the gifts and talents God has given us. On one end, we may use those to boast, to impress or to gain appreciation, while on the other end, we may choose to bury and hide them for fear of humiliation. Jesus then tells us that these should not be. Instead, we must use our talents to serve God, no matter how small and insignificant they seem to be in the eyes of the world. Thus the more people we draw closer to God through our gifts, the more we also draw ourselves closer to His Kingdom. #PrayVD
8/30/2019
Daily Guidelines: August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 Friday
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 “Stay awake!” – cf Matthew 25:13 After a long tiring day, we often feel that we deserve a good rest. The same goes for our faith. When we get tired of praying because they seemed to be unanswered; when we get tired of serving others because we feel unappreciated; when we get tired of loving when we get nothing in return, our minds often dictate that we deserve a break, we deserve to rest our faith. Then we fall into the trap of laziness, of complacency, of indulging too much in self-comfort. Today, Jesus is inviting us to be vigilant and to avoid this trap. Stay awake in faith! #PrayVD |
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