IntroductionThe Mystical Body of Christ is visible in the presence of our brothers and sisters. It is understood that each part of the body must belong to one body in order to work respectively and function properly. Yet, if one part of the body is missing, there will be malfunctions in the system and all parts of the body will suffer and be in pain. This is what happened to our brothers and sisters who are not anymore connected with Christ. They continue to go astray by living their life according to their human desires thus they live in sin and weakness and living away from God’s purpose and plan. It is painful to see our brothers and sisters go astray and are trying to seek for love and acceptance to the point of sacrificing their soul to commit sin. As Verbum Dei disciples, it is our duty to seek the lost ones and pull them out of sin by strengthening them against the tendencies of the world, by sharing the beautiful message of God with the concrete manifestation of love on our respective field of endeavor. Out of fidelity to Christ and in justice and love for our brothers and sisters, our preaching and our entire apostolate can never stop pointing clearly and decisively towards Christ. Like John the Baptist, we will aim to diminish and disappear, so that others may come to know the Lord and be left alone with Him as soon as possible. Therefore, our apostolic activities focus on leading people to prayer and to an interpersonal, peaceful dialogue, along with Christ and in direct contact with the person of Christ. (Constitutions of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity #47) MondayI am chosenJohn 1:35-37 35 The next day as John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus went past, 36 and John looked towards him and said, 'Look, there is the lamb of God.' 37 And the two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Many times, we are called to share our faith in various circumstances. Let us grab the chance to share our faith experiences to those who are thirsty for the gospel. Our sharing could be an eye opener to them and a turning point for them to follow Christ. Let us enjoy our privilege being members of God’s family by bringing them to Christ. Do I live up my goal as a child of God? What are my contributions to the church as a member of God’s family? TuesdayI am God's ChildJohn 3:22-30 22 After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaeancountryside and stayed with them there and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there and were being baptized. 24 For John had not yet been put in prison. 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew about purification, 26 so they went to John and said, 'Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him.' 27 John replied: 'No one can have anything except what is given him from heaven. 28 'You yourselves can bear me out. I said, "I am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent to go in front of him." 29 'It is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the bridegroom's friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom's voice. This is the joy I feel, and it is complete. 30 He must grow greater, I must grow less. The sacrament of baptism makes us children of God, which means that we have a Father who is in heaven and that we belong to one big family. We must show our Father-child relationship in a way that we make our Father the center of our life, whom we believe loves us so dearly. Let us avoid ourselves from any occasions that make us be separated from our Father. Let us show our intimacy with Him by reciprocating His love through reaching out to our neighbors. In what way have I shown my intimacy with my Father? WednesdayI am a Collaborator of Christ(Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles) Acts 4:8-13 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, 'Rulers of the people, and elders! 9 If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple and asking us how he was healed, 10 you must know, all of you, and the whole people of Israel, that it is by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, and God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man stands before you cured. 11 This is the stone which you, the builders, rejected but which has become the cornerstone. Only in him is there salvation; 12 for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.' 13 They were astonished at the fearlessness shown by Peter and John, considering that they were uneducated laymen; and they recognized them as associates of Jesus; It is God’s desire to be like Him. The process of becoming like Him is to know more about him by listening, pondering and living out His words. We can’t be Christ overnight because it is a process. But when we pray, we invoke the Holy Spirit to collaborate with us to know Christ better – His values, His characteristics, His desires and His plans. With our daily prayers we open our hearts to be molded by Christ. We, therefore, become sensitive to the feelings and the needs of others. How do I collaborate with Jesus in molding me to be like him? ThursdayI am a Verbum Dei discipleActs 14:10-15 10 Paul said in a loud voice, 'Get to your feet-stand up,' and the cripple jumped up and began to walk. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done they shouted in the language of Lycaonia, 'The gods have come down to us in human form.' 12 They addressed Barnabas as Zeus, and since Paul was the principal speaker they called him Hermes. 13 The priests of Zeus-outside-the-Gate, proposing that all the people should offer sacrifice with them, brought garlanded oxen to the gates. 14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening they tore their clothes, and rushed into the crowd, shouting, 15 'Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings, mortal like yourselves. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made sky and earth and the sea and all that these hold. It is a great privilege that we belong to the Verbum Dei Family where we have the opportunity to become God’s mouth, hands and feet. It is in the mission that we can express our fidelity and gratitude to Christ for loving us even beyond death. We don’t need to travel farther to reveal God’s love but through the people that we encounter every day. Let us give ourselves a chance to accompany their journey of faith so that they may finally find their way home to Christ and they too would soon accompany others. How do I take advantage of the privileges that I receive from the community? Have I shared my Journey with Jesus to others? FridayI am committed to ChristRomans 15:18-21 18 Of course I can dare to speak only of the things which Christ has done through me to win the allegiance of the gentiles, using what I have said and done, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God. In this way, from Jerusalem and all round, even as far as Illyricum, I have fully carried out the preaching of the gospel of Christ; 20 and what is more, it has been my rule to preach the gospel only where the name of Christ has not already been heard, for I do not build on another's foundations; 21 in accordance with scripture: Those who have never been told about him will see him, and those who have never heard about him will understand. Let us rejoice at our privilege of being called by Jesus to be His followers. Let us pray fervently to sustain our commitment with Christ for it is the only weapon to fight against temptations that weakens our faith in Him. We have to consider always that we are fulfilling the apostolic mission to restore the Mystical Body of Christ. SaturdayI am a living Christ(Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) Out of fidelity to Christ and in justice and love for our brothers and sisters, our preaching and our entire apostolate can never stop pointing clearly and decisively towards Christ. Like John the Baptist, we will aim to diminish and disappear, so that others may come to know the Lord and be left alone with Him as soon as possible. Therefore, our apostolic activities focus on leading people to prayer and to an interpersonal, peaceful dialogue, alone with Christ and in direct contact with the person of Christ. The intervention of the authentic missionary of Christ will diminish in the measure in which the person learns to relate to the Lord on his/her own. The missionary will withdraw once the love of Christ takes hold of, seduces, and captivates the person. When the words are finished, only Jesus and the living experience of Christ should remain in the hearts of the listeners. This is the true and characteristic work of the faithful missionary of Christ. (Constitutions of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity #47) In Baptism we accepted Christ. We assumed Him in our life. Now the time has come that we mature in our faith and it is our turn to continue His mission. Doing the mission does not only show our intimacy with Him but we are making Him alive in us – making him flesh again through us. We are now the living Christ. Let us keep the Holy Spirit burning in us by calling our Mother Mary, who is always behind us in our journey until the very end, to continue to pray for us. What must I do to sustain my commitment with Jesus? How often do I ask Mother Mary’s intercession? SundaySolemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe1st Reading: Daniel 7:13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 93 2nd Reading: Revelations 1:5-8 Gospel: John 18:33-37 Comments are closed.
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