WRONG ONE

Wouldn’t it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? – 1 Corinthians 6:7 (The Message)

If there was anyone in my family that I almost always argue with, it would be my mom. My mom and I are both strong-minded people (I love you Ma!) that we tend to rub each other the wrong way at times. Back when I was younger, we used to argue at least once every two months. It was usually about my mess, something I said, my laziness and sometimes even about my so-called love life!
If you noticed a pattern with the causes I mentioned, the arguments are usually my fault. I admit that now, of course, now that I’m older and more mature. But back then? No way would I admit that I was wrong! I would stand my ground until I was tired from arguing and crying to prove my point. I realize now that I could have avoided all those tears and arguments if I backed down. It’s not just about conflict avoidance, but taking the peaceful way, especially when I know that I am wrong. It’s not about being weak, but being humble enough to listen to the other party and accept the fact that you have to change. Tina Matanguihan

REFLECTION:
Annoyed? Pissed off? Remember that fighting in your defense is not always the best thing to do.

Lord, help me to know when to speak up and when to back down.

Didache Companion Sabbath Top
COMPANION

1st READING

Once again, Paul is critical of the way the Corinthians have taken to secular means to resolve disputes within the life of the community. He is horrified that members of the community are suing one another in court. Does not the bond of love that exists between members of the community count for more than this, and thus enable two people to work out their disputes in a far more amicable manner? Perhaps this challenge of Paul is equally applicable today?

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
1 Brothers and sisters: How can any one of you with a case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the holy ones? 2 Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you unqualified for the lowest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Then why not everyday matters? 4 If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters, do you seat as judges people of no standing in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle a case between brothers? 6 But rather brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 Now indeed [then] it is, in any case, a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers. 9 Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

P S A L M

Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
R: The Lord takes delight in his people.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. (R) 3 Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. 4 For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. (R) 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; 6 let the high praises of God be in their throats. 9 This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia. (R)

G O S P E L

As we seek to make important decisions in our lives, do we include the opinion of Jesus in them? Do we seek to apply biblical principles in our decision-making? Or do we have the attitude: “This is my life and my decision and I will make it by myself.” Maybe we think we have the right to this sort of attitude but there is a fundamental flaw in our reasoning. Is our life really for us to do with as we please? Is not our life a gift from God? Are we not dependent upon Jesus for the gift of salvation?

Luke 6:12-19
12 Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. 17 And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon 18 came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. 19 Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

my reflections
think:As we seek to make important decisions in our lives, do we include the opinion of Jesus in them?

_______________________________________________________
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 105-106

Didache Companion Sabbath Top
SABBATH

PrayinG in CrUCial MOMEnts

Have you ever experienced praying with so much earnestness as you must have done faced with critical moments in life? In today’s Gospel, we see that Jesus did too, as “He spent the night in prayer to God,” before He chose the men who would work closely with Him to establish God’s reign on earth.
Of course, it would be too bad if we will pray so earnestly only when problems and difficulties come. But perhaps critical situations in life are in a way also good for us. For one thing, they remind us of our helplessness, and that we ought to depend not on ourselves but on no other than God alone. Sometimes, it truly takes a crisis moment for us to realize these things. Maybe even such trials and troubles will transform us and make us into better persons. Who knows if through earnest prayer and trust in God, we eventually become instruments to others, too? It was probably least in the minds of the Twelve Apostles that Jesus would one day call and choose them to be His closest collaborators. Imagine a Peter, thinking and protesting: “Me, a mere fisherman?” Or a Matthew: “Of all people, why me, a tax-collector?” And a Simon the Zealot: “Shouldn’t I rather fight for the Israelite nation than for God’s Kingdom?” (Of course, in the case of Judas Iscariot, it’s another story.)
See the wonders of God’s transforming power? In our case, we too in all probability wouldn’t realize what strength, goodness, and holiness lie hidden within us, just waiting to be tapped. That is what God sees in us, in fact — and that’s why He calls and chooses us still. And the crisis moments are just the “triggers” to unlock or open such reserves.
And so, let us pray if we must, let us pray by all means. Especially when crucial moments are at hand. We’ll be surprised that just as “power came forth from [Jesus],” there too will come out an extraordinary potential from us, thanks to God’s grace. Fr. Martin Macasaet

Reflection Question:
Have crisis moments triggered you to become better? What do you realize in this?

Sometimes, Lord, I underestimate the power You have in my life. Forgive me, Lord. May trials show me how strong I am in You.

St. Omer, bishop, pray for us.

FRATERNAL CORRECTION

“When I say to the wicked: ‘Wicked man, you shall die for sure,’ if you do not warn the wicked man to turn from his ways, he will die because of his sin, but I will also call you to account for his blood.” – Ezekiel 33:8

I have close acquaintances and treasured friends in a religious community. My exposure to them allowed me to better appreciate the essence of their vocation, the beauty of their service, the depth of their sacrifices, and yes, their human frailties, too. Full of the idealism from a Catholic education and upbringing, I was mesmerized by their unwavering commitment to the Lord but was left dumbfounded by the reality that they too commit mistakes just like us “ordinary” people.
“Should I or should I not?” was my constant dilemma. Must I take courage and remind them of the right path? But who am I to do that? Must I ignore the inconsistencies between their homilies and their actions? Should I allow myself to be disoriented and walk away? Fraternal correction takes a lot of love, courage, a clean heart, humility and the Holy Spirit’s guidance for the right time, right words, and right way. I am thankful I did my part! Though I lost some dear friends along the way, I trust that in time they will see that I was a true comrade who did not take the easy path of watching them go astray.Marie Franco

REFLECTION:
Do you take courage to warn others of their wicked ways as much as you guard your own ways? Trust in Him as you do.

O Lord, my God, I am not without sin. Create in me a clean heart that I may act according to Your commandment and that others may do the same.

Didache Companion Sabbath Top
COMPANION

1st READING

Prophets and leaders have a direct responsibility to proclaim the Word of God in its truth no matter the situation. There will be times when it is difficult to do this because of standing relationships or many other reasons. This does not and never will excuse a leader from his or her responsibility. The Reading today is quite clear that it is possible for the leader to be held responsible for the faults of the people, if the leader has failed in his duty to lead and proclaim the truth.

Ezekiel 33:7-9
7 You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. 8 If I tell the wicked man that he shall surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked man from his way, he [the wicked man] shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. 9 But if you warn the wicked man, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself.

P S A L M

Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R: (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalm to him. (R) 6 Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) Oh, that today you would hear his voice, 8 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.” (R)

2nd READING

Paul emphasizes that it is love that is the central call upon our lives. We should avoid all other obligations except the obligation of mutual love. I like this idea as it is too easy to fall into a sense of false obligation to others when we allow sinful or worldly pressures to guide our relationships and lives. It is important for us to ensure that it is Gospel truth and principles that are the basis of our relationships, not worldly pressures and desires.

Romans 13:8-10
8 Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, [namely] “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

G O S P E L

Each of us has a responsibility to work through our struggles with another person in the Christian community. Too often, I hear the excuse given that the relationship has come to an irreconcilable point. This is simply not true. It may be that the people have taken positions that are irreconcilable but this is a totally different thing. All issues can be reconciled if the parties are willing to humble themselves long enough to come together and work their problem through.

Matthew 18:15-20
15 Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. 16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. 18 Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, [amen,] I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

my reflections
think:Love is the central call upon our lives.

_______________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 95-99
SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
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SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
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HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
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Didache Companion Sabbath Top
SABBATH

MUtUal rEsPOnsibility in thE COMMUnity

We all belong to the Church — for better or for worse. More than just belonging to the Church, we are the Church. (If only to illustrate this point, note that if you remove the two middle letters in the word church, then you will know who’s missing, got it?) If ever there’s one thing that can tarnish our relationships, it’s no other than sin. Sin is what alienates us from God and from one another. If you think the word sin is simply spelled s-i-n, it might be worth considering that it’s really more s-I-n. That’s a capital I in the middle: symbolizing nothing else but the ego. Any sin is always an act of selfishness, a misplaced and inflated assertion of the ego at the expense of God and neighbor.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about fraternal correction. He gives us a pattern to follow, beginning with an immediate dialogue with the offender; followed by having recourse to two or three “witnesses,” and then also to the Church; and finally — should the offender still persist in ignoring the correction, ostracizing the sinner.
Funny how we tend to follow another pattern, opposite to Jesus’ method. We immediately isolate the sinner by our deadma attitudes. And then we “broadcast” it to the community, to our friends and other people. Only at the end — when, we don’t know anymore what to do — do we approach and speak to the person concerned.
Fraternal correction is indeed something that is not easy to practice. It is both hurtful and humiliating. In spite of the difficulty with Jesus’ “against-the-flow” teaching, we just have to do it, in all honesty and humility. It is, after all, the Christian way.
Somebody said that when we arrive at the gate of heaven, St. Peter will ask us, “Where are the others?” Our Faith isn’t a private matter. “One Christian is no Christian,” says another. Jesus says, “[W]here two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” We often sing in church, “Tayong lahat ay may pananagutan sa isa’t-isa” (We are all responsible for one another). Fr. Martin Macasaet

Reflection Question:
Have we followed Jesus’ way of fraternal correction, or the world’s way?

Teach me, Lord, to follow Your teachings even when they’re different from what I’m used to.

St. Regina, virgin and martyr, pray for us.

IN THE FACE OF AN ENEmY

When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure. - 1 Corinthians 4:12

In one of the episodes of the TV series ER, Dr. Benton, a black American physician, was about to go home after working long hours in the hospital. It was his mom’s birthday and the family is throwing a party for her. On his way out, a skinhead is rolled into the ER with a tattoo on his arm saying “Die, Nigger, Die.” Dr. Benton attended to him and saved his life, consequently missing the birthday party of his mom.
It takes a lot of courage to face an enemy, and even a greater braveness to actually do him good. But it is a call to all of us who wish to be true disciples of Christ. It is never easy to be holy but every time we go through the fire, every time we pass the test, Jesus is there on the other side, waiting to say, “Good job! Well done!”Jane Gonzales

REFLECTION:
When you are treated like rubbish, do you try to get even or do you reply in kindness and try to heal the hurt?

Lord, grant me the gift of fortitude that I may handle well the adversities of life. Amen.

Didache Companion Sabbath Top
COMPANION

1st READING

Paul paints a fairly bleak picture of life as a Christian in the first generation of the Gospel. At least he is being honest and not painting some sort of unreal picture of Christianity to prospective converts. Today the picture could be said to be much the same, particularly in the more secular parts of the Western world. Here Christians are often caricatured and made into an easy target for the secular apologists. We have to
be strong enough to stand on the truth and let the witness of our lives do the talking.

1 Corinthians 4:6b-15
6 I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written, so that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over against another. 7 Who confers distinction upon you? What do you possess that you have not received? But if you have received it, why are you boasting as if you did not receive it? 8 You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich; you have become kings without us! Indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we also might become kings with you. 9 For as I see it, God has exhibited us apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and human beings alike. 10 We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless 12 and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment. 14 I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

P S A L M

Psalm 145:17-18, 19-20, 21
R: The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
17 The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R) 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him, he hears their cry and saves them. (R) 20 The LORD keeps all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. (R) 21 May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD, and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. (R)

G O S P E L

Why was the Sabbath given to man? What is the meaning of the Sabbath rest? These two questions ought to be at the forefront of the minds of the Pharisees at this time. And if they were, they would understand that the present understanding they have is a long way from the one God intended when He gave them the law. I am not saying that we can discard a law that does not suit us anymore, but we do have to be careful that we do not maintain a law or an interpretation of a law that is not in the spirit of the origin of the law.

Luke 6:1-5
1 While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” 3 Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? 4 How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.” 5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

my reflections
think: We have to be strong enough to stand on the truth and let the witness of our lives do the talking.

_______________________________________________________
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 91-94
Didache Companion Sabbath Top
SABBATH

aUthEntiC rEliGiOn

Jesus once again rebuts the Pharisees accusing His disciples of breaking the Sabbath prescriptions. This time He invokes an Old Testament incident concerning David and his men, who, in a moment of hunger, ate the bread of offering in the house of God. The point of our Lord is that satisfying human needs and performing works of mercy and kindness can and do take precedence even over religious prescriptions.
Religious beliefs, traditions and rituals need not and should not contradict our nature as human persons. Our nature, fallen and tainted as it is, has nevertheless been created in the first place by God as something good, and then sanctified by God’s Incarnation, and redeemed by Jesus’ work of Redemption. Religion can thus build on top of it, as it were, with its many positive qualities. Whereas we tend to look upon our lowly human nature as something negative, it need not be so. Our human needs and endeavors are there precisely to make up the “building blocks” or the raw material of God’s grace. The following passage, taken from the Anglican Digest, shows this —
The True Religion
At home, it is kindness.
In business, it is honesty.
In society, it is courtesy.
In work, it is thoroughness.
In play, it is fairness.
Toward the fortunate, it is congratulations.
Toward the weak, it is help.
Toward wickedness, it is forgiveness.
Toward God, it is reverence, love and obedience.
It would be too bad if “Mr. Christian,” who goes to Church and never misses a Sunday, would go to hell for what he did on Monday. Let us thank Jesus, who is the Lord of the Sabbath and the “owner of Sunday” for setting the record straight when it comes to the practice of our religion. Fr. Martin Macasaet

Reflection Questions:
Have I made religious observances and prescriptions more important than satisfying my neighbor’s needs — of loving my neighbor?

Wake me up, Lord, when You see me become so religious, so set in my ways that I forget the more important aspects of the law: the law of love and mercy.

Blessed Thomas Tsughi, Japanese martyr, pray for us.

LET THE LORD JUDGE

My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. – 1 Corinthians 4:4

“God was with us when we did it.”
An actress said this on national television years ago. She was referring to the sexual act that she committed with an actor boyfriend who eventually sired her first child. Apparently, she must have thought that premarital sex is some thing that God approves of.
Once I asked my students if they thought cheating is unethical. Many of them said, “It depends.” Somehow, in the complexities that we have created in our lives, we have lost our inner compass, our sense of divine integrity that the Creator has embedded in us.
The poet Edgar Guest says it clearly in his poem “Am I True To Myself?”:
I don’t want to keep on a closet shelf
A lot of secrets about myself,
And fool myself, as I come and go
Into thinking that nobody else will know
The kind of man I really am;
I don’t want to dress up myself in sham.
So, do you really want to know who is innocent? Let the Lord judge you in your thoughts and actions. Red Cerrer

REFLECTION:
Are your actions in line with your values? With your faith?

Father, create a clear mind and heart in me. Amen



Didache Companion Sabbath Top
COMPANION

1st READING

There is an important moral principle taught in today’s First Reading. Paul tells us that his conscience is clear. As far as he knows, he is in the right. However, he also admits that he may not be “in the clear” in God’s eyes. That is, even when we have done our best to form our conscience judgment, in truth we may still get it wrong. We are not and never will be infallible interpreters of moral truth when it comes to the subjective reality of our own experiences. This is why we should always look to the teachings of the Church on moral issues as God has assured us that the Church will avoid error in its official teachings in both the moral and doctrinal areas.

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
1 Brothers and sisters: Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 3 It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; 4 I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.

P S A L M

Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40
R: The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests. (R) 5 Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication. (R) 27 Turn from evil and do good, that you may abide forever; 28 for the LORD loves what is right, and forsakes not his faithful ones. Criminals are destroyed, and the posterity of the wicked is cut off. (R) 39 The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. 40 And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (R)

G O S P E L

Jesus is clear that the Scribes and Pharisees need to stop judging His ministry by the old standards they are used to as He is initiating a new covenant with the People of God. When a new revelation is made, the old standards are probably not up to assessing it properly, just as Newton’s laws of motion were found to be inapplicable to speeds approaching the speed of light in Einstein’s theory of relativity. The same is true for us as we pass from a life under sin to a life under the Holy Spirit. There will be new and different standards brought into play.

Luke 5:33-39
33 The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. 37 Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

my reflections
think:There will be new and different standards brought into play, as we pass from a life under sin to a life under the Holy Spirit.

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