God's Message For You Today, June 22, 2011

22 June
Wednesday TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

Greatness, are you expecting it NOW?

But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it? " – Genesis 15:8

Back in the year 2000, when my girlfriend was frustrated with me in my failure to get two points (a sales requirement in a multilevel marketing company) I remember telling her, "Me? I'm always on the verge of greatness." Strangely, that would calm her down.
While I said those words, I didn't realize how powerful they were.
After six years in a company where I reached senior assistant manager, I got an early retirement and started anew as a manager elsewhere. Two years later, I left that second company and successfully worked for myself as an Internet marketer.
We will be known by the results or fruits of our lives, the Gospel says. And one way we can make sure that the fruits will be a great harvest is to change the words we use to describe ourselves.
I used to describe myself as on the "edge" of greatness. Now I say that my life is one marvelous miracle to another.
Now proclaim it for yourself: "I live a marvelous life!" Jomar Hilario (jomar.hilario@gmail.com)
22
REFLECTION:
How do you describe your future?

Lord, help me understand that Your plan for me is a marvelous life!

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
COMPANION

1st READING

God repeats His promise of progeny to Abraham. When we reflect upon this promise in the light of Romans 4, I think we can begin to understand its true significance. Paul presents Abraham as the Father of our Faith in Romans 4; he is the perfect example of what it means to be a man of faith. Thus the real progeny of Abraham are not his blood descendants (obviously of which there are many), but all men and women of faith. It is faith that he has fathered and bequeaths to the humanity as his greatest legacy.

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
1 The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram!  am your shield; I will make your reward very great." 2 But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?" 3 Abram continued,  "See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said: "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be." 6 Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness. 7 He then said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession." 8 "O Lord GOD," he asked, "How am I to know  hat I shall possess it?" 9 He answered him, "Bring me a
three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 He brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the
birds he did not cut up. 11 Birds of   prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them. 12 As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep,  errifying darkness enveloped him. 17 When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. 18 It was on that occasion that the LORD
made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates."

P S A L M

Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
R: The Lord remembers his covenant forever.
1 Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds. 2 Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. (R) 3 Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD! 4 Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. (R) 6 You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail. (R) 8 He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations, 9 which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. (R)

G O S P E L

There will always be men and women whom Satan uses, whether implicitly or explicitly, as false prophets. This is why it is important for us to be formed in our faith. If we know the basic tenets of our faith we will not be easily led astray by false prophets. If we are ignorant of our faith it will be easy for false doctrines to seduce our unformed minds and hearts.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 7:15-20
15 Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So by their fruits you will know them."

my reflections
t h i n k: There will always be men and women whom Satan uses as false prophets.

God's special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________

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

_______________________________________________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 1-5
Psalm 1-5

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SABBATH

A FOOLPROOF TEST

There is a time-tested methodology for discerning good or bad spirits. We are not referring here, by the way, to paranormal or supernatural activity. We mean here the so-called "Ignatian discernment of spirits."
This kind of framework of guidelines developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola warns us of attributing something too easily to good or to bad spirits. In fact, St. Ignatius is quick to say that while the bad spirit may disguise itself to be a good spirit, the bad spirit can never produce anything good. Only the good spirit will yield something good always.
Satan, the Evil One, is known not only as the Prince of Darkness, but also as the Father of Lies. Or if you like, he is also the Master of Disguise. He can cleverly hide behind attractive and pleasant disguises. In this sense, Satan is the original wolf in sheep's clothing.
In a way, it is true. How can Satan attract people to himself if they see him scary, obnoxious or disgusting? For this, we have to be very vigilant. And our Lord's advice is truly foolproof and effective: "You can tell a tree by its fruit."
In the context of the Gospel episode, Jesus used this teaching of His for the purpose of unmasking false prophets. Now, what if we applied Jesus' acid test to ourselves? It shouldn't take much for us to show our true colors beneath the disguises. We may fool a lot of people (nay more, perhaps even God Himself), but once we start deceiving our very own selves — that is the worst. We can even apply the most elaborate schemes for discerning spirits (yes, the Ignatian or otherwise), and they will only yield the same results.  Fr. Martin Macasaet,
SDB

Reflection Question:
Do I ever take the time to test the spirits whenever I have some choices to make?

Holy Spirit, teach me Your ways so I may be able to discern where the spirit is coming from. Amen.

St. Alban, pray for us.

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Fw: choi, God's Message For You Today, June 21, 2011

21 June
Tuesday TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

The Secret Trail

"How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." – Matthew 7:14

My husband and I love to travel but we prefer to be away from the crowd. So whenever we go some place, we choose sites where tourists would not normally go. One time we were on an island and we wanted to bike ride around it. But there were just too many tourists that it was nearly impossible to even get our bikes moving. Then I remembered a secret biking trail that a friend mentioned to us. We were hesitant at first but we were glad we took it. It was indeed a great trail where we enjoyed both the bike ride and the beauty of the island not normally seen by the crowd.
There are teachings of the church that restrain us from doing certain things. Premarital sex, contraception and abortion are just some of them. Some people may not have a problem engaging in these acts; after all, we have the freedom to choose how we live our lives. But where our choices lead us makes a lot of difference. We can follow the crowd but just because it is acceptable to many doesn't make a thing right. More than anything, it's a matter of following God.
The choices we make for our lives lead us to either the path to death or the path to eternal life. Jane Gonzales-Rauch (mjsg2468@yahoo.com)

21
REFLECTION:
Who do we please in the way we live our lives? Is it God or people?

Dear Lord, forgive me when I tend to follow the crowd. Send forth Your Spirit that will guide me to the right path. Amen.

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top
COMPANION

1st READING

Not only has Abraham given up a lot of his wealth, he allows Lot first choice of the lands they have before them. Lot, of course, chooses the most fertile lands and leaves Abraham with mostly semi-arid desert. This only goes to show the continued depth of trust that Abraham has in the Lord's providence. He trusts that God will provide for his needs even if the lands he moves into are incapable of provision. Later we will see Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's command! Is there a more faithful and trusting man in human history? Probably only Jesus and Mary outdo Abraham in faith.

Genesis 13:2, 5-18
2 Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. 5 Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support them if they stayed together; their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7 There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and
those of Lot's. (At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were occupying the land.) 8 So Abram said to Lot: "Let there be no strife between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land at your disposal? Please separate from me. If you prefer the left, I will go to the right; if you prefer the right, I will go to the left." 10 Lot looked about and saw how well watered the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar, like the
LORD's own garden, or like Egypt. (This was before the LORD had   destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain and set out eastward. Thus they separated from each other; 12 Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked in the sins they committed against the LORD. 14 After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram: "Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west; 15 all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants too might be counted. 17 Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth, for to
you I will give it." 18 Abram moved his tents and went on to settle near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD.

P S A L M
Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 5
R: He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
2 He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart 3 and slanders not with his tongue. (R) Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; 4 by whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD; (R) 5 who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed. (R)

G O S P E L

We do not reflect enough upon this statement of truth that the road to perdition is wide and the one to righteousness is narrow and difficult. Yes, God is a generous God but the sin at work in the world places tremendous temptations before us all and we need to be realistic about this in terms of protecting ourselves from the temptations and providing ourselves with an environment that will foster faith and trust in God.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 7:6, 12-14
6 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. 12 Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. 13 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. 14 How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."
Job 38-42
my reflections
t h i n k: The road to perdition is wide and the one to righteousness is narrow and difficult.

God's special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________

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

_______________________________________________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Job 38-42

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SABBATH

THE TEACHER WHO REALLY GOES BEYOND

Three paragraphs, three separate lessons. Short as our Gospel passage today seems to be, it is nevertheless loaded with this combination of compact teachings from our Lord Jesus. (Incidentally, such an occurrence is possible, from the point of view of the behind-the-scenes work. The Gospel writers understandably took some liberty in making editorial arrangements.)
Perhaps we can take our pick among the three lessons. Now even just a quick glance at the passage will make us single out the one in the middle, the famous Golden Rule.
And to think that it isn't even an original teaching of Jesus Christ. Other wise men antedating Him in history or the major religions of the world have their own versions of it. Considering the variety of beliefs, languages and cultures, it is remarkable that the core teaching is the same.
Nevertheless, Jesus Christ couldn't have put it better as He did and there lies His originality: He actually made it a summary of "the law and the prophets" — that is, the Old Testament teaching in its entirety. With this background, therefore, we now appreciate even more Jesus as Teacher.
What is even more admirable is that He would always be the first to apply His own teaching to nobody else but Himself. Wasn't His own Passion and Death the result of His criticism and castigation of the scribes and Pharisees? He did to them what His enemies in turn did as well to Him, but more: they, the chief priests and the Romans, accused Him falsely, subjected Him to a mock trial, tortured, ridiculed and crucified Him. Whereas beneath the Golden Rule is an equal, tit-for-tat conduct, the excessive treatment Jesus got only goes to show the limitation or defect of this law.
No wonder our Lord, in His promulgation of the New Law, was never contented with staying at the minimum. His challenge was to go beyond w h a t i s m e r e l y stipulated, not to be satisfied with mere compliance with the lowest requirements. Jesus comes indeed as a teacher who really goes beyond!  Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

Reflection Question:
Do I walk my talk?

Lord Jesus, You gave us an example of what a good teacher is: one who applies to one's self his own teachings. Help me to become a good teacher like You. Amen.

St. Terence, pray for us.

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Zinio Reader: FRONT SIDE

FRONT SIDE

Android, Android, Everywhere

Google officially wants to be everywhere—or at least it wants Android to be everywhere. At the Google I/O 2011 conference last month, the company outlined a vision for global platform domination, which includes a new cloud-based music service, a new movie rental service, Android for the home, reference designs for new Android hardware, and even, yes, Android light bulbs. Prepare to get bombed by Google Android.

Google's anticipated music service—still in beta and without a lot of major label support—puts all your music in the cloud, and as Google repeatedly reminded us, doesn't require any docking or wires to play the music wherever you want to. Google also introduced a movie service that works with new apps on the Motorola Xoom tablet and Android phones.

Still, the most announcement was the Android-everywhere portion. Google is now ready to send its mobile operating system well beyond phones and tablets. The plan is that it will show up in everything from speakers and exercise bikes to light bulbs. These Android-enabled devices will of course work with Android phones and tablets.

Android as an embeddable operating system is also becoming a reality as Google introduced hardware reference designs that should help Android power all sorts of crazy ideas. Google demonstrated the power of this hardware and the Android platform with a tablet-controlled maze (one that was breadbox-size and one that was large enough for a bowling ball to roll on).

Interestingly, Google said it wants Android, specifically Android Ice Cream Sandwich (or 4.0) to be one OS for all devices, but did not explain how this affects its other operating system: Chrome.

—Lance Ulanoff

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God's Message For You Today, June 14, 2011

14   June
Tuesday  TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH      
DIDACHE    

ANYTHING BUT THAT

"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you…" – Matthew 5:44

I was very angry with somebody. No… the word angry is mild. I was livid.
I had a mixture of emotions about something that transpired, and my human instinct told me that I needed to strike back to defend myself. But it was something I knew I didn't want to do. Instead, I lashed out at another person involved and said all the hurtful words I could say. The sleeping monster inside me awoke.
I carried this anger in my heart for many years. And each time I came across the chosen verse above, I would always cringe. Love my enemies? Pray for those who persecute me?... "Lord! Please make me do anything but that!"
To this day that remains a tall order for me. It is not easy. I prayed for the blessing of time, believing that it heals all wounds, and that in God's perfect time the anger in my heart will fade.
True enough, the time came. It felt as if a big thorn in my heart was pulled out. Only then did I actually know what it's like to forgive — the peace of Christ enveloped me and renewed my spirit.  
May His peace fill your heart every day. Nova Arias (nova.svp@gmail.com)
14
REFLECTION:
Was there ever a time when you loved your enemy? If you managed to do it once, you can do it over and over again.

Grant me a change of heart, O Lord

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top      
COMPANION  

1st READING

I am not a fan of forced or heavily encouraged or prescribed tithing. I believe it is far better to instill in people the knowledge of their responsibility for the work of the Church and the care of Her ministers and then preach on this text of generous giving. In this way those who are rich and who can afford to give way more than 10 percent have no excuse to hold back their wealth from the needs of the Kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 8:1-9
1 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, of the grace of God that has been given to the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For according to their means, I can testify, and beyond their means, spontaneously, 4 they begged us insistently for the favor of taking part in the service to the holy ones, 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us through the will of God, 6 so that we urged Titus that, as he had already begun, he should also complete for you this gracious act also. 7 Now as you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also. 8 I say this not by way of command, but to test the genuineness of your love by your concern for others. 9 For you know the gracious act of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

P S A L M

Psalms 146:2, 5-6, 7, 8-9
R: Praise the Lord, my soul!
2 Praise the Lord, my soul! I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live. (R) 5 Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. (R) Who keeps faith forever, 7 secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. (R) 8 The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those that were bowed down; the LORD loves the just. 9 The LORD protects strangers. (R)

G O S P E L

Jesus commands us to love our enemies. This fact tells us something of the nature of love that today's world needs to learn anew, namely that love is a decision and is not necessarily dependent upon our feelings or emotions. What is important is that we decide to love every human being we meet! This is a command of the nature of the Gospel and the nature of love; if we do not have love for others, how will we be committed to proclaiming the Gospel to them?

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 5:43-48
43 Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

my reflections
t h i n k I : f we do not have love for others, how will we be committed to proclaiming the Gospel to them?

God's special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ' S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for:____________________________________

_______________________________________________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Job 10-13

Job 10-13

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top      
SABBATH  

JESUS' TOPSY-TURVY TEACHING

Once again Jesus turns conventional norms into a topsy-turvy teaching in today's Gospel reading. And how He does so, specifically regarding concrete and practical matters such as loving and greeting.
The metaphors of sunlight and rainfall used by Jesus bring the message across very clearly. In the new dispensation already long since inaugurated by Jesus, we cannot be selective and "distinctive" (in the sense of making discriminatory distinctions) in our love anymore. The Israelites from of old would love their countrymen and "hate" their enemies. This second verb, by the way, is often misunderstood in the literal sense of hatred. But it simply meant that Israelites were allowed to prioritize their love for their own, and then apply a lesser love on the rest. (What a peculiarity!)  
The new law being promulgated now by Jesus mandates plainly that we love our enemies. Period. No ifs, no buts; no questions, no conditions.
In any case, should we fall short of such radical ideals taught by Jesus, we do ourselves a favor by not watering down or sugar-coating them. We need not despair if we don't attain to such ideals. In the words of popular Christian writer Philip Yancey, "[Jesus] gave [the Sermon on the Mount] to impart to us God's Ideal toward which we should never stop striving, but also to show that none of us will ever reach that Ideal. The Sermon on the Mount forces us to recognize the great distance between God and us, and any attempt to reduce that distance by somehow moderating its demands
misses the point altogether" (The Jesus I Never Knew).  
Yes, Jesus indeed turns our standards topsy-turvy. But it's OK. We will not attempt to put them back in order. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

Reflection Question:
Jesus' teachings vs. the world's teachings: Which do you follow?  

Make me Your faithful disciple, Lord. May Your teachings be always the standard for my life.

St. Mark of Lucera, pray for us.

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