God's Message For You Today, January 23, 2011

23 January
Sunday TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

A Row of Eggheads

Please be perfectly united, with one mind and one judgment. – 1 Corinthians 1:10

In 2008, my cousin Ray was diagnosed with cystic nephroma, a rare medical
condition. He underwent surgery and was miraculously cured. A year later though,

there was a re-growth of the cancer cells. He was operated on again but this
time around, he also had to undergo rounds of chemotherapy treatment. As
expected, Ray lost his hair.
One Sunday morning, churchgoers were attracted to a row of shiny "eggheads" in a

pew. There was Ray seated beside his brothers who all voluntarily shaved their
heads to be like him!
This simple gesture from his siblings became another deep source of strength for

Ray. It was a clear manifestation of love from his family. With such support, he

was confident he would overcome no matter how big his crisis was and how long
his journey would be. For the rest of the clan, it made every member recognize
and value family ties even more.
Replicate this family experience of unity to our circle of friends, the office,
our community, our church and our country. Imagine what we, united in Christ,
could achieve in His name.Marie Franco (rfranco@its.jnj.com)

REFLECTION:
What have I done to bring people together?

Heal our land, Lord, from disunity. Give us servant leaders who can unite the
country and transform it into a great nation under Your Name.

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
COMPANION

1st READING

What is it to walk in a culture of death? What a morbid question you might say.
But I am serious – the age in which we live is one where darkness seems to
overcome the spark of life. Abortion, euthanasia, experimentation with embryos
and the list goes on, and most of us hardly bat an eyelid. Lives are being
destroyed every second and what are we doing to change this terrible situation?
As Christians we are called to be a light to the world – a light of truth so
that all may see and understand the truth of the dignity of each human person
from conception to death. Let us all try to think of ways in which we can awaken

the conscience of our age to the darkness threatening to enshroud it in death.

Isaiah 8:23-9:3
23 First the LORD degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in
the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan, the
district of the Gentiles. Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness for
there is no gloom where but now there was distress. 9: 1 The people who walked
in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a

light has shone. 2 You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as
they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as men make merry when dividing
spoils. 3 For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the
rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

P S A L M

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my
life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 4 One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, that I
may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple. (R) 13 I
believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. 14
Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. (R)

2nd READING

Christ must always be the focal point of our proclamation of the Gospel lest we
deprive it of the power it should have. There is no easy way to keep the focus
on Jesus and deflect it from ourselves – we simply have to keep making that
exact decision. Jesus never seeks to do His own will in His ministry – it is His

Father's will to which He constantly defers. Let us follow His example.

1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
10 I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but
that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. 11 For it has been
reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe's people, that there are
rivalries among you. 12 I mean that each of you is saying, "I belong to Paul,"
or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Kephas," or "I belong to Christ." 13
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name
of Paul? 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and
not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be

emptied of its meaning.

G O S P E L

Repentance is an integral part of the proclamation of the Gospel for the simple
reason that we are all sinners. If we accept this, it is not surprising that
Jesus calls for repentance before faith. It is our repentance that clears away
the darkness of sin and enables us to see with the eyes of faith the truth of
the Gospel of love. Let us never forget that we are called to purify our lives
of sin so that we are better able to receive the life of holiness that God plans

for us all.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the
people.
R: Alleluia

Matthew 4:12-23
12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He
left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun

and Naphtali, 14 that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be
fulfilled: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond
the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen

a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has
arisen." 17 From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand." 18 As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he
saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a
net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, "Come after me, and I

will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of
Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee,
mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left their boat and
their father and followed him. 23 He went around all of Galilee, teaching in
their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every
disease and illness among the people.

my reflections
t h i n k : Let us all try to think of ways in which we can awaken the
conscience of our age to the darkness threatening to enshroud it in death.

God's special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________

T O D A Y ' S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for:____________________________________

_______________________________________________________

READ THE BIBLE IN Exodus 19-21

SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
SABBATH

LIVING IN DARKNESS an d SEEING A GREAT LIGHT

One of the many signs of maturity is the capacity to live in a state of tension,

an ability to live in a situation of paradox. A mature person is one who can
navigate the self in the midst of seeming contradictions and a world of
opposites, and still come out a better person from the experience. Nature offers

us a lot of examples, one of which is the lily flower. The lily is pure white,
supple and suffused when fresh, with images of cleanliness, purity and pristine
simplicity. These qualities make it a favorite flower for altars of churches and

shrines. But of course, we all know where it comes from. Like love, it "comes
from the most unexpected places." It is no secret that the lily is produced by
the dirtiest of waters, stagnant and stale and, supposedly, sterile! The lily is

thus a story of survival, an epic illustration of the capacity to grow and bloom

even in the midst of deprivation and desperation.
Take it from the story of salvation. Whoever thought Zebulun and Naphtali beyond

the Jordan, the "territory of the Gentiles," would produce anything good?
Just last year, we saw it happen. A 16-year-old boy who sold siomai for a living

back in Batangas was hailed as the champion of Pilipinas Got Talent, winning not

only P2 million but the adulation of millions of Filipinos all over the world.
Recently, National Geographic channel featured something almost incredible. They

discovered that even in the remotest, darkest, dreariest and desolate recesses
in the bowels of the earth, there is animal life, blind like anything, but
capable of self-mobility and self-nourishment. There is life in the darkness!
We cry and lament we've been in darkness as a nation and people for far too
long. Corruption rules the day at every nook and cranny of our tiny nation, in
and out of government. But "a people who lived in darkness had seen a great
light!" We simply refuse to cower in darkness. We are this people now. And we
resolve to let that light shine on today and for always. Fr. Chito Dimaranan,
SDB

Reflection Question:
Do you believe in the light even as you go through the darkest moments of your
life?

Lord, when the world seems so dark, help me to believe and cling to the light
that comes from You. Amen.

St. Amasius, pray for us.

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
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Quezon City
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Contact no. 09175789554

Ortigas
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Makati
Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Manila (2 sessions)
Friday, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m
7:00 p.m.. - 10:00 p.m.
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Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Cinema 1, SM Baliuag, Bulacan
Feast Builder: Chito Manaois
Contact no. 09174358746/09228190198

Cardona
Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Queen Mary Help of Christians Hospital, National Road, Calahan, Cardona

CEBU
1st & 3rd Sunday of each month
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
University of San Carlos North Campus, Mango Ave., Cebu City
Contact nos. 4128142/09212413801/09232908009

DAVAO
Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
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Contact nos. 0822865081/0922251822
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God's Message For You Today, January 22, 2011

OUR sole Savior

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered
himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship
the living God. – Hebrews 9:14

I was in high school when I consented to watching porn. That time, I thought it
was another avenue of fun and most of my friends were into it, too. I didn't
think anything was wrong with it. I didn't realize that I was moving away from
Jesus until it hit me that I was no longer attending Mass and had been praying
less, too.
Through teachings from the Catholic community I belong to, I have come to know
that Jesus is the High Priest of heaven who came down on earth to redeem mankind

from the bondage of sin and death. I thank God that I learned this because
knowing this liberated me from all the unnecessary burdens I take on whenever I
am tempted and I sin.
Jesus our Lord and Savior has won the battle for us and redeemed us through His
own pure, unblemished blood. That alone can make us become worthy to praise our
One Living God. Eugene Cailao (eugenecailao@gmail.com)

REFLECTION:
We are not saved by what we do but by what God has done.

Father God, grant me the grace to magnify Your presence in my life and the lives

of those whom I love. May my efforts be overcome by Your goodness and grace
forever.

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
COMPANION

1st READING

The sacrifice of Jesus is perfect; it does not need to be repeated. In fact, the

Eucharist is a memorial sacrifice by which we remember what Jesus did and have
it before us on the altar in a sacramental form. This is the wonder of the
sacraments. We may not have been there at Calvary when Jesus died, but we can
certainly be present to His sacrifice on Calvary through our celebration of the
Holy Mass.

Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14
2 A tabernacle was constructed, the outer one, in which were the lampstand, the
table, and the bread of offering; this is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the
second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies. 11 But when Christ
came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the

greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to

this creation, 12 he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood

of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes
can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, 14 how much
more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself
unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the
living God.

P S A L M

Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
1 [2] All you peoples, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness, 2
[3] for the LORD, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the
earth. (R) 5 [6] God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; the LORD, amid
trumpet blasts. 6 [7] Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king,
sing praise. (R) 7 [8] For the king of all the earth is God; sing hymns of
praise. 8 [9] God reigns over the nations, God sits upon his holy throne. (R)

G O S P E L

Don't blink or get distracted or you will miss today's Gospel. Not even Jesus'
relatives understand Him or His mission. They come to take Him away before a
riot breaks out. This can be the nature of the Gospel at times. It will always
provoke a reaction in places where it is not welcome. Let us never be afraid to
speak the truth of the Gospel wherever we may be but to do so prudently and with

love (c.f. 1Peter 3:14-18).

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Mark 3:20-21
20 Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat. 21 When his relatives heard of this
they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

my reflections
t h i n k : Let us never be afraid to speak the truth of the Gospel wherever we
may be but to do so prudently and with love.

God's special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________

T O D A Y ' S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for:____________________________________

_______________________________________________________

READ THE BIBLE IN Exodus 16-18

Exodus 16-18

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
SABBATH

ATTUNEMENT OR ATTACHMENT?
Everyone knows how important family is for growth. No one can claim any passable

level of emotional wellbeing unless he or she can lay claim to a commensurate
level of family closeness. Psychologists use two big but related or
complementary words to describe this: attunement and attachment. They mean a
whole lot of things — from having someone "mirror" a child's thoughts and
feelings to having someone validate a toddler's feelings at any given time. They

say that without a child experiencing attunement at the most critical moments of

his life, he cannot graduate to attachment. Where emotional completeness should
have taken root, a certain void remains deep inside and the child does not learn

what it means to belong or be part of a family, to be connected meaningfully and

securely.
The short Gospel passage today seems to pit Jesus against His own relatives who
have a mouthful to say against Him: "He is out of his mind!" I am sure each of
us can relate. To be a Christian nowadays is to go against the mainstream. It
means to be seen, oftentimes, as being strange or out of touch with reality,
being outdated, etc. Sounds familiar? Indeed! Pope John Paul II got a lot of
flak when he did his duty to teach, when he stood up for Christian values, when
he preached in season and out of season. So, too, does Benedict XVI, our current

Pope. When one stands by what is right, when one champions what the masses need
and not what they want, when one speaks as God would have him or her do,
criticisms will not be far behind.
The easier thing to do is to follow what the rest of the world seems to be
doing. As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. It is better to be
attuned to the world and its ways, and not to be seen as an odd ball.
Unfortunately, too much attunement to the world leads to too much attachment as
well. This is the big problem of our times. Who are we really attuned and
attached to? Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

Reflection Question:
How attuned am I to the world? Does this attunement lead me away from God?

Lord, shake me from any unhealthy attunement to the world.

St. Brithwald, pray for us.

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
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1. The FEAST is the one of the happiest places on earth.
Find one near you!
PICC
Sunday (2 sessions)
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
PICC, Roxas Blvd.

Pasig
Sunday (2 sessions)
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Valle Verde Country Club (beside The ULTRA)

Quezon City
Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n.
Convention Hall, Bureau of Soils, Visayas Ave., Q.C.

Alabang
Sunday (3 sessions)
11:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
2/L X-site Entrance, Festival Mall, Alabang
Tel. No. 659-8299

Laguna
Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n.
Cinema 1, SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Taytay
Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Valley Fair Arcade, Ortigas Ext. Taytay, Rizal
Bustos
Sunday 2:30 p.m - 5:30 p.m.
San isidro labrador Parish, Liciada, Bustos

Valenzuela
Sunday 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Cinema 1, SM Valenzuela
Contact no. 09175789554

Ortigas
Monday 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Roofdeck, Prestige Tower,
F. Ortigas Ave., Pasig City

Makati
Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor Paseo de Roxas

Manila (2 sessions)
Friday, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m
7:00 p.m.. - 10:00 p.m.
Cinema 4, SM Manila (near City Hall), Manila

Angeles
1st & 3rd Friday, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Angeles City Library Bldg. Santo Entiero St., Angeles
City

Marilao (3 sessions)
Friday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Barcelona Academy
Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Cinema 2, SM Marilao, Bulacan

Baliuag
Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Cinema 1, SM Baliuag, Bulacan
Feast Builder: Chito Manaois
Contact no. 09174358746/09228190198

Cardona
Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Queen Mary Help of Christians Hospital, National Road, Calahan, Cardona

CEBU
1st & 3rd Sunday of each month
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
University of San Carlos North Campus, Mango Ave., Cebu City
Contact nos. 4128142/09212413801/09232908009

DAVAO
Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
4/L Alexian Brothers Health and Wellness Center, Matina, Davao City
Contact nos. 0822865081/0922251822
2. Need Counseling?
Call a friend for counseling at 09228407031, 7266728, 7264709, and 7259999
Mon-Fri 24-hrs, Sat 6am-5pm, Sun 6am-10am.
3. Free Kerygma Magazine (the one on paper) from Bo.
If you're a KerygmaFamily member who regularly supports this ministry with at
least P300 or US$20 a month - you'll be receiving a one-year subscription of the

KerygmaMagazine in the mail-automatically!
If you haven't signed up for KerygmaFamily, join now!

http://www.kerygmafamily.com
4. Its now easy to DONATE using the new GlobeTelecom GCASH at
http://kerygmafamily.com.

5. DONATE using SMART MONEY - type KFAM_amount and send to 270
6. Put Preacher in Blue Jeans in your Blog or Friendster! Just copy the text in
under next to the EMBED keyword under the video. Just like YOUTUBE!
7. Did you receive this email from someone else? To get Bo Sanchez to send it to

you personally, log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com.
Lots of surprises await.
8. To change your KerygmaFamily member/email settings. Please click here
9. To enter the Audio & Video Teachings, Please click here
10. Forward these to your friends - so they too can read God's Word and be
invited to join the KerygmaFamily. They'll Thank you for opening this mountain
of blessings to them!

11. Contact Person: Tina (+632) 9312711 or + 639178424101 or
support@kerygmafamily.com