GODS STRATEGY

Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I
desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but
sinners.

Matthew 9:12-13

God embraced Adam with his earthly nature, enabled

him to be the Paradise Caretaker, and empowered him to
go, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.
God embraced Abraham in his old age, enabled him
to father Isaac, and empowered him to be Father to all
nations;
God embraced Moses after saving him from
slaughter, enabled him to live as a prince, and empowered
him to lead the exodus to the land flowing with milk and
honey;
God embraced David as a shepherd boy, enabled
him to be minstrel-soldier-general, and empowered him to
be a great king after Gods own heart.
God embraced Peter with his impulsive tendencies,
enabled him to be the leader of the Apostles, and
empowered him to be the first pope.
And God embraced me with my inferiority complex,
enabled me to rebuild my self-worth, and empowered me
to bring out the best in people.
Friend, allow God to embrace, enable and empower
you to be the person He designed you to be. Obet Cabrillas
(obetcab@yahoo.com)

Reflection: How will you hear His call when you dont admit your
weakness?

Lord, I give You full permission to embrace, enable and empower

me.

Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions, pray for us.

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

COMPANION

1ST READING

Even though they lived in a foreign land, Abraham honored Sarah

with a proper burial in the property he bought from the Hittites.
Then he commissioned his head servant to find a wife for Isaac
from among his countrymen. From todays reading, we learn to
recognize and pay attention to the important moments and
decisions in our life.

Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67

1The span of Sarahs life was one hundred and twenty-
seven years. She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in
2

the land of Canaan, and Abraham performed the

customary mourning rites for her. Then heleft the side of
3

his dead one and addressed the Hittites: Although I am a

4

resident alien among you, sell me from your holdings a

piece of property for a burial ground, that I may bury my
dead wife. After the transaction, Abraham buried his wife
19

Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre

(that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 24: Abraham had
1

now reached a ripe old age, and the Lord had blessed him
in every way. Abraham said to the senior servant of his
2

household, who had charge of all his possessions: Put

your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by
3

the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that
you will not procure a wife for my son from the daughters
of the Canaanites among whom I live, but that you will go
4

to my own land and to my kindred to get a wife for my son

Isaac. The servant asked him: What if the woman is
5

unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I then take your

son back to the land from which you migrated? Never
6

take my son back there for any reason, Abraham told

him. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my
7

fathers house and the land of my kin, and who confirmed

by oath the promise he then made to me, I will give this
land to your descendants he will send his messenger
before you, and you will obtain a wife for my son there. If
8

the woman is unwilling to follow you, you will be released

from this oath. But never take my son back there! A long
62

time later, Isaac went to live in the region of the

Negeb. One day toward evening he went out in the
63

field, and as he looked around, he noticed that camels

were approaching. Rebekah, too, was looking about, and
64

when she saw him, she alighted from her camel and 65

asked the servant, Who is the man out there, walking

through the fields toward us? That is my master, replied
the servant. Then she covered herself with her
veil. The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had
66

done. Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent; he married

67

her, and thus she became his wife. In his love for her,
Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.

PSALM

Psalm 106:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

R: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy

endures forever. Who can tell the mighty deeds of the
2

Lord, or proclaim all his praises? (R) Blessed are they who
3

observe what is right, who do always what is

just. Remember me, O Lord, as you favor your
4

people. (R) Visit me with your saving help, that I may see
5

the prosperity of your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of

your people, and glory with your inheritance. (R)

GOSPEL

What we did in the past contributes to the person we are today.

However, we continue to define and determine who we are by the
choices we make. We are works-in-progress, still being renewed
in Gods image and likeness. Do we cooperate or fight against
what God wants to do in our life?

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I
will give you rest, says the Lord.

Matthew 9:9-13

9As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew

sitting at the customs post. He said to him, Follow me.
And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in
10

his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat
with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and
11

said to his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax
collectors and sinners? He heard this and said, Those
12

who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go 13

and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not

sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

think: Jesus forgives our sins. Why do we struggle to forgive

those who have wronged us? Let us ask Jesus to help us forgive.

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Read the Bible in one year 2 Chronicles 13-15

T O D A YS BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord,

for: ______________________________________________________

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

SABBATH

A SICKNESS CALLED DRUDGERY

In one of our pilgrimages to churches in Europe, our group

came across an interesting painting that interprets the call
of the tax collector Matthew. Everything and everyone is
rendered in darkness, and Jesus stands out as one with a
lighted countenance. Light shines from His back
illuminating everything.
Matthew could have been a tax collector for a long
time. His work for the Roman Empire could have given
him a good remuneration, but it could have turned to be a
dull daily routine for him. He may have been feeling sick of
waking up and doing the same thing every day sitting in
his post, listening to the same woes of people from whom
he needed to collect dues. Life has become a drudgery.
Hence, when Jesus came, and said to him, Follow Me,
he simply got up and followed. Change with Jesus was
liberating.
Through all these years, one ministry I did was
celebrating the Eucharist at noontime breaks in various
workplaces in Makati. Several times, people shared that
the noontime Mass was one thing they looked forward to
in order to break the monotony of their daily work for so
many years. A good number of them are making a
countdown: how many more years will they have to spend
doing the same work daily until their retirement.
This is said to be part of the curse of Adams sin
our need to toil each day. Work and life becomes
increasingly a burden that we need to put up with. It is,
therefore, not at all surprising that we try to make the best
of every possible diversion.
Spirituality, prayer, fellowshipping, outreach and
various faith-activities are then not a leisure. They are
needed for balance, for sanity and for sanctity. Through
them, Jesus says to us: Follow Me. Fr. Domie Guzman,
SSP
 ---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

How do you sustain your sanity and balance through all of lifes
challenges?

You can make the ordinary extraordinary, O Lord. Help me to

see every day as special. Amen.