General Theme: Disciples – being true witnesses of Jesus’ love and self-giving. General Objectives: - to strengthen the relationship of us disciples with the person of Christ whose urgency of giving life and love is the basis of our missionary expansion. - to follow the footsteps of Jesus as closely as possible in his public ministry. - to allow Him to illumine our journey of missionary expansion and inspire us with His same sentiments towards others. Objective of the week: - To allow Jesus to multiply our capacities and talents
INTRODUCTION
Each one of us has been created with varied talents and capabilities and the best person who knew these capabilities and talents within us is God himself, who created us with so much love and gentleness. But there are moments that we hinder this capabilities and talents to be multiplied because we fear of rejection or because we have not recognized that we have these talents and capabilities. But Christ is giving us the opportunity to recognize our real identity as child of God who has been given by these talents and capabilities. It is but right for us to discover and optimize these capabilities and talents by connecting to the Source through constant prayer (especially the Eucharist). Would we not want to share that great joy of the Master as we offer Him back these capabilities and talents that He gave to us? MONDAY You are fearfully and wonderfully made Gen 1:26 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness. " Psalm 139:13-16 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Believe that we are capable of doing something good for we were created in His own image and likeness. Our capacities and talents are gifts from God. They were not out of our own making. What are your talents and capabilities? Why are hesitant to share it to others? TUESDAY Our father affirms our life’s worth Matthew 17:1-9 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.3 and behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.4Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”6 When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”8And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. Have you listened to the most powerful affirmation of God over your life: “You are my Beloved Son in whom I am pleased”? What implications do these words have in your life? The story of transfiguration was designed to bring us to our real identity as a child of God. Like Peter, John and James, we too were given the great privilege to be called as disciple of Christ because God knows what we're capable of. WEDNESDAY Belittle not the unique talents God has given us (St. Andrew, Apostle) Matthew 25:14-30. 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” There are many opportunities for us to take initiatives, but we are often afraid to put ourselves forward and think or say “I am not the MOST qualified”, but would we magnified this feeling or thinking rather than the invitation of Christ our Master to come and share His joy. THURSDAY Boast not our abilities and capabilities Luke 18: 9-14 9 He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. 10“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 11The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. 12 fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ 13 But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 18: 1-5 At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. All the things we have, all the knowledge we know comes from God alone. Let our heart boast of what God gives and does to us (especially HIS Mercy and Grace) rather than what we do. For what matter in the eyes of God is our heart and not what we have done. FRIDAY Taste and let others discover the bread of life Mark 14: 22-24 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”23Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Jesus is opening for us the opportunity to take bold steps to get closer with Him and share with Him the very Truth of our existence, the will of God for our life. Our Closeness with Jesus opens us up to see better the needs of our brothers and sisters more than ours as Jesus did, and we become the living testimony of God’s love and selflessness. Do we believe that we will know better ourselves through Jesus? SATURDAY Get involved in the apostolic work of Christ of whatever you have (St. Francis Xavier) Luke 9:12-17. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”13h He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”14Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of [about] fifty.”15They did so and made them all sit down.16Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. Jesus knows exactly the right time for us to share, to give what we receive from Him in order to receive more. Don’t be naïve to give of whatever little that you have, for Jesus knew how to magnify them for the receiver and to you the giver as well. SUNDAY 2nd Sunday of Advent 1st Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10 Responsorial: Psalm 72 2nd Reading: Romans 15:4-9 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Comments are closed.
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