“Give your servant, herefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” – 1 Kings 3:9a

The group of companies I worked for was closing down and I was
about to lose my job. Some people with whom I had former business
dealings offered me more than double my salary to manage their
company. Upon closer scrutiny, I learned that this company didn’t
pay minimum wages and didn’t pay the right taxes. But I desperately
needed a better job then and lifted my cause in prayer to God. Through
my wife’s prayer, God told me not to take the job.

A few years later, a multi-billion tax scandal landed on the front page
of the papers. At the center of the scandal was this same company.
Its owner, who had offered me the job, was on the run. If I had taken
the job, I would have been his fall guy and taken the raps. I thanked
God for the wisdom that he had given me not to take on that employment.

When we’re on the side of integrity and honesty, our discernment will
always be a wise one!Rolly España (rolly@homeliving.com.ph)

REFLECTION:
Do you put your trust on what the world tells you or what God’s
Word tells you?

Lord, thank You for the grace to discern what is wise from Your
perspective.

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COMPANION
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my reflections
think: There are so many things we desire to have and they easily
distract us from the one desire that we should focus on, namely
being disciples of Jesus.

But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? – Malachi 3:2

Mr. Williams is someone you would rather not have for a professor. He is known for giving his students a hard time during class recitation. But it’s actually for the benefit of his students. He asks a lot of questions and makes sure that his students understand not just the theory but the full concept of the subject matter. Most often, the students are not able to prepare well for his class so they would try to avoid going to his class or they would all agree to boycott it just so they would be spared from the recitation, at least for that particular day.

Our knowledge of the Lord and the kind of relationship we have with Him will determine how we receive Him on the day of His coming. Many of us desire to have a life free of pain and suffering but we do not welcome the idea that God may come anytime soon to render His judgment on us. There is nothing to fear if we live our lives in union with God. But if we live in a wayward manner then maybe it’s time we set things aright with Him so that we may receive Him with love and confidence when He appears before us.
Jane Gonzales (mjsg2468@yahoo.com)

REFLECTION:
If God appears before us now, would we be happy to face Him or are we going to tremble in fear?

Lord, lead me away from the things that offend You, and bring me to an understanding of behavior that will make me fit for heaven. Amen.

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COMPANION
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my reflections
t h i n k : God has created us; surely He knows and desires what is best for us and would not command us to do something that would be detrimental to our well-being.

He was amazed at their lack of faith. …. – Mark 6:6

Teena lost her husband to leukemia in 2008. When his body was about to be cremated, she told this story to her five-year-old son: “Daddy will now go to heaven. His body will be placed in that box which will be his ride. Once the box is closed, it will enter that chamber where it will stay until we hear the bells ring. You should clap when you hear the bells because that means that the angels already took Daddy to heaven.”

When the bells rang, a complete silence descended on the crowd. The hush was broken by an applause of one. Following his mom’s instruction, the young boy celebrated the special moment.

A child’s faith is always admirable. Once they believe something, they will hang on to that idea with full conviction. Let’s pray that we may have a child’s faith as we grow in our Christian life. Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com)

REFLECTION:
“The childlike faith that asks not sight, waits not for wonder or for sign, believes, because it loves, aright, shall see things greater, things divine.” (John Keble)

Lord, I pray that I may have faith like a child, for You have said that I need a child’s heart to enter Your kingdom. Amen.

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COMPANION
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my reflections
t h i n k : Let us meditate today on our faith in Christ and His power to change us.

He got up and was baptized…. – Acts 9:18

On the morning of February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia re-entered the earth’s atmosphere after a 16-day scientific mission. A few minutes before its expected landing, the shuttle burst into flames, lost its power, disintegrated and crashed in the desert of California.

Columbia needed a large amount of power for it to take off from earth, to stay up in the sky and return to earth. It needed 1.9 million liters of fuel (approximately 47 thousand cars with full tank) and five million pounds of energy (equivalent to the weight of 25,000 200-pound men) to push the shuttle 23 miles up in the sky in two minutes. Saul became a changed man through the power of the Holy Spirit. This same power fueled him to spread
the Gospel and sustained Him through all the trials and persecutions he faced.

Our human powers are limited. If we rely only on our own powers, we just might end up like the space shuttle Columbia. We won’t be able to sustain our flight. But if we turn to God, the Source of all power, and allow Him to take control of our lives, we can fly high.
Judith Concepcion (svp_jmc@yahoo.com)

REFLECTION:
“They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings. They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Empower me with Your Spirit, oh Lord.

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COMPANION
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my reflections
t h i n k : We are all called to be apostles, men and women who give their lives in the service of the Gospel.