JOHN 1:12-13

READING: "12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God." - JOHN 1:12-13 (NABRE)

REFLECTION: When you accept Jesus in your heart, you will not be a servant or a slave but a dearly beloved daughter and son of God and God will be your Father. Have you decided to believe in His Name?

PRAYER: Harden not my heart O God and may the Holy Spirit restore my understanding that I may welcome again the embrace of God my Father.

JOHN 1:6-11

READING: "A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him." - JOHN 1:6-11 (NABRE)

REFLECTION: Are you another John of this generation who can testify that Jesus came to this world to save his own people? Or are you His own people who keeps on wandering because of ignorance of Him?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, True Light of this world, enlightens our heart with Your love that we may fix our broken relationships and truly accepts Your saving hands.

JOHN 1:1-5

READING: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - JOHN 1:1-5 (NABRE)

REFLECTION: If we want to know everything in life, we have to go to the Word who existed in the beginning and the the root of everything that exists today.

PRAYER: Dear God, help us to welcome the Word into our hearts that we may see the light to guide us in the darkness of our life.

The first-born said "my father"

I stumbled upon this verse thinking that they have a different father but the same mother.

And on the next day, the first-born said to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring through our father." -- Gen 19:34 (RSV-CE)

But reading into the whole context, I think the girls have the same father -- Lot.

The Didache Bible (Leather) in Catholic Answers Shop

I tried to search for another source of The Didache Bible since Midwest Theological Forum do no ship outside US and I found the leather version of The Didache Bible in Catholic Answers shop. I'm not sure yet if they will ship outside US. I have to try and ask them.

Quick Overview

The Didache Bible presents extensive commentaries on all books of the Holy Bible based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Didache Bible presents extensive commentaries on all books of the Holy Bible based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
It includes the complete text of Sacred Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, using the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.This Bible version is considered by many Catholic leaders and authors, including Peter Kreeft and Scott Hahn, as the most beautiful English translation of the Bible today.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Twenty-seven full-color biblical maps, including the journeys of Jesus Christ.
• Common questions about the Faith answered in 106 apologetical explanations.
• Comprehensive, forty-four-page glossary and a topical index.
• Useful for students and adults studying Scripture.
• Ideal for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Catholic Faith.
• Accessible by all people in its level of scriptural scholarship.
• Large 6" x 9" size

Additional Information

Product Code	B0918
Topic	Bibles
Author	The Holy Spirit
Format	Leather Bound
ISBN	No
Pages	1960
Publisher	Ignatius Press

Sunday of the 3rd week of Christmas - The Baptism of the Lord

And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased." -- Mark 1:7-11 (RSV-2CE)

The Didache Bible

Added the Didache Bible on my Wish List

The Didache Bible presents extensive commentaries, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, for each of the books of the Holy Bible. The Didache Bible also includes numerous apologetical inserts to assist the reader in understanding the Church's teachings on current issues. After publishing the books of The Didache Series, Midwest Theological Forum set out to fill a need for a Catholic edition of Sacred Scripture with explanatory and apologetical commentaries based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The publication of the Didache Bible, based on these principles, fulfills the desire of Pope St. John Paul II as expressed in his Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum: "The Catechism of the Catholic Church . . . is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium. I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith" (no. IV). The Didache Bible is a valuable resource for students and those participating in Scripture studies. Ideal for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith and intended to be accessible by all Catholics in its level of scriptural scholarship. Available in the Ignatius Bible Edition (Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition) Features 27 full-color biblical maps, including the journeys of Jesus Christ More than 100 apologetical explanations that help to answer common questions about the faith Includes a comprehensive, 43-page glossary and a topical index

2015 Catechism Reading Plan in 1 Year

This will be my Catechism reading plan for 1 year. My plan is to read this every night after I do my Evening Prayer of the LOTH and before I read the Gospel for tomorrow. I will also do my reflection on the Gospel using the "In His Steps Journal."

Then I will proceed with my daily Rosary and Night Prayer of the LOTH before I go to sleep.

2015 New Testament in 1 Month

This will be my New Testament reading plan for 1 month. My plan is to read this every day during lunch break in the office.

I will do my LOTH first before I do the readings. I will be using the NT Confraternity Version of the Bible.

2015 Old Testament in 1 Year

This will be my Old Testament reading plan for 1 year. My plan is to read this every morning before I go to work or while on the road.

NABRE vs. NRSV: Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors (Jn 1:19-28)

From time to time I will compare readings from the Lectionary using the NABRE and NRSV. This is done by many bloggers and I guess it won't be bad doing the same. Here it goes:

NABRE:

This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
“I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing. 

NRSV:

¹⁹ This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”^{[a] 21} And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”

as the prophet Isaiah said.

²⁴ Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah,^[b] nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷ the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” ²⁸ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Another Bible on my Wish List

Here's another bible I will include on my Wish List. This is the Catholic Study Bible. I still don't know when I will have it but I'm praying that in my tight budget I will receive it this January.

In my love for the Word of God, I'm starving to study it more. And by the grace of God I hope that the Holy Spirit will enlighten my mind to understand it and live it.

I haven't posted that other item on my Wish List here in my blog and I'm inclined to list it down below:

1. The New Testament (Challoner-Rhe​ims)
2. The New Testament And Psalms: Revised Standard Version, Dark Blue, Second Catholic Edition
3. Christian Prayer
4. Douay-Rheims Bible (Pocket size) (1609)
5. Knox Version (1950)