“If you remain in my word, you are truly my disciples…” – John 8:31
DAILY SCRIPTURE TIME
Many
years ago, part of my spiritual practice was to read Scripture every
day. Our community calls it “Scripture time,” which was separate from
our “prayer time.”
But it’s been several years now that I’ve considered listening to the
Gospel in my daily Masses as a substitute for Scripture time. Once in a
while, I would write my reflections in my journal or Companion.And when inspired, I would spend extra time to read Scripture.
But in our weekly Divine Mercy/Marian prayer meeting, the year-end
message we received was to read Scripture daily, faithfully. So, I made a
New Year’s resolution to restore my Scripture time. It’s been a long
time since I read the Bible from cover to cover. I decided it’s time to
do that again.
True, it’s important to arm ourselves with the Word of God and
faithfully live and serve as God’s disciples, especially with the many
bad influences of the world in these “end times.” Cristy Galang
1ST READING
These
three men are unwilling to bow to the unjust demands of a pagan king,
and so the king had them thrown in the fire. But lo and behold, they do
not get consumed by the flames. They have a protector who preserves them
from any harm. It is in living by the truth of the Gospel that we will
be preserved from any harm due to sin.
Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
14 King
Nebuchadnezzar said: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that
you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? 15 Be
ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made, whenever you
hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and
all the other musical instruments; otherwise, you shall be instantly
cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God that can deliver
you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need
for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! 18 But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up.” 19 King
Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times
more than usual 20 and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace. 91 King
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles, “Did we not cast
three men bound into the fire?” “Assuredly, O king,” they answered. 92 “But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.” 95 Nebuchadnezzar
exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who
sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him; they
disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve
or worship any god except their own God.”
P S A L M
Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
R: Glory and praise for ever!
52 “Blessed
are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above
all forever; and blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy
and exalted above all for all ages. (R) 53 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever. (R) 54 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. (R) 55 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. (R) [56] Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever. (R)
GOSPEL
Jesus
proclaims that truth gives us the greatest freedom. We live in a world
that does not acknowledge this truth. We are constantly amazed by the
lies of politicians and the corrupt practices of many business people.
There are even lies from rewriting the understanding of our sexuality in
ways that are contrary to its inherent meaning.
John 8:31-42
31 Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They
answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been
enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. 36 So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you. 38 I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence; then do what you have heard from the Father.” 39 They
answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them,
“If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of
Abraham. 40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. 41 You are doing the works of your father!” So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, God.” 42 Jesus
said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came
from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
REFLECTION
CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM, CHILDREN OF PEACE!
God
promised the fatherhood of many nations to Abraham, and he is therefore
claimed as the point of legitimacy by Jews and Muslims alike. The Jews
call themselves children of Abraham through the son of promise, Isaac.
The Muslims, on the other hand, call the patriarch “Ibrahim,” and they
claim that they are also children of Abraham through Ishmael, his son by
the Egyptian slave Hagar. Of course, we Christians honor Abraham as the
great man of faith, whose attitude of willing and prompt obedience to
God’s call we all ought to emulate (cf Romans 4:13-19).
Besides faith, Abraham is also known to be the patriarch who preferred
to resolve conflicts by peaceful means. Though he enjoyed preeminence
over his brother’s son, Lot, he allowed Lot to make the first and best
choice during the partitioning of grazing grounds (cf Genesis 13:1-18).
He tried to bargain for everything possible so that the inhabitants of
Sodom and Gomorrah may be saved (cf Genesis 19). Further, he gained land
through negotiation and purchase, rather than through conquest! (cf
Genesis 23).
A sad reality that we then have to particularly pray and atone for is
the global and local confrontation many times involving Muslims,
Christians and Jews. To our shame before God and before one another, we
easily identify ourselves as creatures of the One God, monotheists and
followers of religious traditions and beliefs that trace their origins
to Abraham. However, many of the present issues of armed conflicts are
also perpetuated by us! Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP
"Let there be true peace among us all, Lord — whether we are Christians, Jews or Muslims."
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