Pag-ibig sa Diyos Catholic Community

HOUSEHOLD REFLECTION GUIDE FOR SEPTEMBER 2019

2019 Theme: Climbing Mountains with Jesus
September Theme: “Rousing each Other to Good Works”
REFLECTION ON THEME
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the
good things He planned for us long ago.” Eph 2:10 NLT
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise,
you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.” Mt 6:1 NABRE
“We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.” Heb 10:24 NABRE
Central Message:
God wants us to do good deeds together for His glory and honor.
Points to Consider:
1. Jesus teaches us to recognize Him in all those who are hungry and thirsty, in the stranger and
those stripped of dignity, in the sick and those in prison (Mt 25:35-40). He stretches out His
hand, freely and not out of duty, and asks us to do the same. We are called to do good not
only to those who like us or whom we like, but especially to those in need.
2. Doing good works is an important part of God’s plan for us. This is very clear in Eph 2:10.
Good works are works of love - a kind word, a warm hug, a listening ear, a little help to
someone in trouble, paying attention to a stranger, aiding the poor and needy, giving up a seat
in the bus to someone who needs it more… the list goes on! Good works relate not only to a
person’s material needs but to her/his emotional and spiritual needs as well. This is aptly
summarized in Pope Francis’ call to “seek the least, the last and the lost”.
3. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us that we do good works not for our own glory
but for the glory of God, not for our benefit but for the welfare of others. For this we need a
humble and generous heart, a heart full of love and concern for our neighbor. Pope Francis
expressed this beautifully when he said, “Go to God by praying, and to those in need by loving.
These are the true treasures in life: God and our neighbor. And this is the road Jesus tells us
to take: to go up to God and to come down to our brothers and sisters. He tears us away from
grazing undisturbed in the comfortable meadows of life, from living a life of ease amid little
daily pleasures.” (Homily on World Day of the Poor, 18 Nov 2018)
4. By ourselves alone we will have difficulty doing good deeds for it requires a lot of sacrifice.
Hence, we need to constantly encourage and remind each other. This is “rousing”.
Community provides us many opportunities to serve together in love.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do I have eyes to see, ears to hear, hands outstretched to help my neighbor? I will recall
instances when I did so. HDTMMF?
2. How can the community help me to be more aware of the value of good works in my Christian
life?
Prayer: “Stretch out Your hand to me, Lord, and make me a channel of Your good deeds. Teach
me to love as You love, to be a reassurance of Your concern for all those in need. Amen.”
2
WEEKLY REFLECTION GUIDE
Week 1 - September 1 (22nd Sunday in Ordinary time )
Readings: Sir 3:17-18,20,28-29 / Heb 12:18-19,22-24 / Lk 14:1,7-14 - Conduct at a feast.
“When you are invited to a wedding party, do not choose the best seat. It may happen that
someone more important than you has been invited” v 8
Reflection:
This story is about how we get a sense of our own value. The world teaches it is about getting the
top places, and being invited among important people. But the Lord said His disciples are marked
by humility, ignoring rank or class. How we behave socially or in the community indicates the kind
of person we are. We get a sense of who we are from God and from what and who we love, not
by what the world teaches.
During the discernment process for servant leaders we didn’t have any idea of what position we
would be called upon to serve in. Some were called to serve as COE, some in the Ministry,
others in the Prayer Group, but many did not have the chance to be called at all. We realized
being servant leaders did not put us above the members. Hence, instead of being proud that so
many gave place to us, we are humbled that there are so many we must give place to. We are
reminded in Pro 25:6 “Do not boast before the king or put yourself among the great”. Christ’s eye
is upon us, and He marks what we do, not only in our religious activities, but in our everyday life.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do I find joy and fulfillment in the community, and its works? Why, why not? HDTMMF?
2. How do I react when people give negative comments about me? How do I deal with it?
Prayer: “Lord make me humble and meek as I serve you each day. May I never lose heart even in
the most difficult and trying times. Amen.”
Week 2 - September 8 (23rd Sunday in Ordinary time )
Readings: Wis 9:13-18 / Phm 9-10,12-17 / Lk 14:25-33 - Jesus’ sayings on discipleship.
“Whoever does not follow Me carrying his own cross cannot be My disciple… In the same way,
none of you may become My disciple if he doesn’t give up everything he has.” v 27,33
Reflection:
Discipleship is basically faithfulness, and following Jesus on the way to the cross is not easy. We
cannot be a disciple without being prepared to walk this path. We need to be willing to experience
the rejection He faced, and to bear the cross He bore. Jesus offered himself to all. He was also
honest from the very beginning of his preaching about what the journey would involve. What
Jesus asks for is first place in one’s heart.
When we were called to serve in the community, we experienced different trials and difficulties in
our journey. Both of us were working and our children were still very young when we joined the
MEW. We learned that the more you desire to follow the Lord, the greater the obstacles and
persecutions. Young as we were, we were not used to criticism and challenges that we almost
quit. At the same time, we had a big problem in the business so we had to make a choice - to go
or to let go. It was not easy for us to choose our priorities but in every difficult situation, the
Lord’s hand was always there guiding us every step of the way. Truly how great is the Lord! He
did not allow us to leave the community, and until now we are happy serving Him and will
continue to do so for the rest of our lives. We hold on to His promise in 1 Cor 10:13: “No trial
greater than human endurance has overcome you. God is faithful and will not let you be tempted
beyond your strength”.
3
Reflection Questions:
1. What is Jesus asking me to give up; what are the things that hinder me from following in the
Lord’s footsteps? (Please list down)
2. What is my greatest cross at the moment; how does it affect my service?
Prayer: “Lord, obtain for me the grace to withstand all the trials and tribulations that come my
way. Strengthen me that I may be victorious and proclaim your goodness. Amen.”
Week 3 - September 15 (24th Sunday in Ordinary time)
Readings: Ex 32:7-11,13-14 / 1 Tim 1:12-17 / Lk 15:1-32 - Parables of the lost sheep, coin, son.
“Then He will call his friends and neighbors together and say, “Celebrate with me for I have
found my lost sheep… And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say
“Celebrate with me for I have found the silver coin I lost… For this son of man was dead and
has come back to life, he was lost and is found. And the celebration begins.” v 6, 9, 24
Reflection:
The three parables form Jesus’ response to the pharisees and scribes, who were grumbling
because Jesus was eating and mixing with tax collectors and sinners. All three began with
problems – a sheep got lost, a coin was mislaid, and a son left home – but there was a happy
ending for each. The main theme is to REJOICE!
God rejoices at the repentance of a sinner more than He remembers the sin. He comes out like
the lost son’s father who waits for the return of his beloved son. God’s love is so great, His
forgiveness is unbelievable. It defeats all human calculations. God wants to reclaim every
prodigal child and rejoice at his/her return. With the mercy of God we are back where we belong
– in the love of God.
One of the most challenging works in our community is reactivation of inactive members. No
matter how hard the process is, we still go on until we get positive results. There will be rejection
and negative reactions. Some people are receptive while others are not, some reasons are valid
while others are not. We may have to spend much time and effort but it is a great joy when we
see them attending community gatherings again. The salvific action of God is a source of joy:
“Rejoice with me!”
Reflection Questions:
1. I will recall an instance in my life when I felt the mercy of God. What made me return to Him?
2. Have I been an instrument to reactivate members who have not been seen for so long? What
did I do to help bring them back?
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner, and heal the wounds of my sins. Help me to
forgive others as You forgive me of my sins. Make me responsive to your love. Amen.”
Week 4 - September 22 (25th Sunday in Ordinary time)
Readings: Am 8:4-7 / 1 Tim 2:1-8 / Lk 16:1-13 - Parable of the dishonest steward.
“No servant can serve two masters, He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to
one and despise the other. You cannot give yourself both to God and to money.” v 13
4
Reflection:
Since we are merely stewards, our wealth belongs to God and is to be used for His purposes
and glory, and not simply for our own interest. We need to hear these words of Jesus with
humility and honesty and allow them to take root deep within us so they may lead us to a
change in lifestyle – to have only God as our master. When we are able to make this paradigm
shift, we will be able to look at wealth merely as one of the ways we can honor God. Then we
will be able to live simply and share generously with those in need. We will find ourselves
living a less stressful, ie, a truly peaceful life. And we can truly say, “I have found my true
riches in that place where no thief can draw near and no moth can destroy”.
Reflection Questions:
1. Have I found serenity in my life today? How can I say so? Who is really my master now?
2. How do I react during times when my resources are lacking to meet my needs, my special
dreams (like a vacation, a car, etc)?
Prayer: “O Lord, I believe You are truly a provident God and so I lift up to You this need ____,
trusting in Your goodness and wisdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Week 5 - September 29 (26th Sunday in Ordinary time)
Readings: Am 6:1a,4-7 / 1 Tim 6:11-16 / Lk 16:19-31 - Parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
“Abraham replied: “My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the lot of
Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony.” v 25
Reflection:
I remember how my parents, during their lifetime, would share their blessings to those who
knocked at our door. Many times, a beggar would come asking for help be it money or goods,
and my father would gladly invite him to have something to eat and drink as well. My mother
would share the last cup of rice to a neighbor in need and when I told her we didn’t have
enough for dinner, she would just smile at me. True enough, I witnessed that even though they
shared the little we had, we had enough for our daily needs.
They also taught us not to waste food, and to eat everything on our plate because there are
many who are hungry. This lesson I often repeat to my own children. Small gestures like it
make us appreciate the need of others. There is always an opportunity to be a blessing for
other people - speaking kind words, giving to charity, sharing food, witnessing, praying for
someone’s intentions, treating people with dignity, or just simply listening. These are what the
rich man failed to do, and brought him agony. We do not need anyone to come back from the
dead to remind us; we have Jesus and the poor right on our doorsteps.
Reflection Questions:
1. What have I done lately to help the Lazarus-es in my midst?
2. How often do I take the opportunity to be a blessing to others? In what way?
Prayer: “Lord God, I pray for that You make my heart full of compassion like Yours, full of
kindness like Yours, full of concern for my neighbor like Yours. Then I can rejoice for
You will truly be in our midst.”
LET US END OUR REFLECTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER BY ASKING THE LORD TO MAKE US
TRUE CHANNELS OF GOD’S LOVE THROUGH GOOD WORKS.