Homily Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
Reading 1: God has revealed to Moses the conditions of
the covenant that he will enter into with his Chosen People. These conditions
are the Commandments and their ramifications. These conditions reflect a way of
life God was calling the people to exhibit. Their response: “We will do
everything that the Lord has told us.” Yes. Amen. We accept and dedicate
ourselves to this way of life.
In those days covenants were sealed with the sign of
blood. The blood was a symbol of the life of the animal sacrificed. So Moses
makes a sacrifice to God and uses the blood of the sacrificial animal to ratify
and seal the agreement between God and his people. Underlying this action is
the realization that if either party breaks this covenant, the other can take
its life.
Moses splashed the blood on the altar, which represented
God. He again reads the commands of God to the people. They again say “All that
the Lord has said, we will do and heed.” Then he sprinkled the blood on them.
When we were baptized into Christ, we entered into a
covenant with God. That covenant was sealed not with the blood of animals, but
with the blood of Christ on the cross.
We were saved and freed from our sins. Each time we celebrated the
Eucharist, we renew that covenant again in the blood of Christ. In that
renewal, we are saying to God: “We will do everything that the Lord has told
us.”
Reading 2: The author of the Letter to the Hebrews
reminds us of the greater significance of the Blood of Christ, shed upon the
Cross than the blood of goats and bulls offered in the Old Testament. First of
all, we recognize that God chose to become man, so that his blood as the
God-Man may be the perfect sacrifice to the Father. The blood of the animals
signified external purification not the internal reconciliation from sin and
its effects.
The blood of Jesus offered on the cross for our redemption
purifies our conscience from sin. The first purification takes place in
baptism. But like the Old Testament people we have broken our baptismal
covenant by not observing the commands of the Lord and not living a way of
holiness because of sin. Through the sacrament of Reconciliation our sins are
once more forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus, through his
blood.
In the receiving of the Body and Blood of Jesus in
Eucharist, we say the words: “Say the word and my soul shall be healed.” The
blood of Christ in the Eucharist does not take away those sins which separate
us from God but those that have cooled our relationship with him.
Gospel: The Last Supper was a Passover Meal connecting
the observant Jew with the Exodus event. There God spared his people from the
scourged of death of the first-born and delivered them from the bonds of slavery.
The people on their part were to slaughter an unblemished lamb, sprinkle its
blood on the doorposts and lintels of their home. Then they were to eat its
roasted flesh. Thus, they were saved by God through the sign of the lamb’s
blood.
Every year at the Passover, They would remind
themselves through the ritual Passover meal what God had done and was doing for
them. Through this meal they would renew their covenant with God.
Knowing that he was the new, definitive Passover Lamb,
in the midst of the annual celebration, Jesus dramatically said: “Take this
bread and eat of it for it is my Body.” He was the new Passover Lamb who
through his death on the cross will deliver all from sin and save them from
eternal death. Then he said: “Take this cup for it is the blood of the new
covenant” which he was establishing with us. “Do this is memory of me.” The Jews celebrated this meal annually. We
celebrate it weekly and even daily in thanksgiving for what God has done for us.
Our offering and our consuming of the Body and Blood of Jesus is a renewal of
our covenant. Yes, we will do all that the Lord has told us to do.
Jesus gives us his Body and Blood as a sign and gift
of his love that we may eat and not die spiritually. It also is a sign of the
perfect sacrifice pleasing to God. It is also a sign of his continual presence
with us. But this sign is a mystery that can only be embraced in faith because
of who Jesus is. In faith, it reminds us that we are called to intimate union
with Jesus, a union that will be eternalized when we are with God, sharing his
divine life in glory.
Our response is to live faithfully our covenant
commitment by doing what he has commanded us out of love and gratitude.
Life is a journey. At times our journey seem to go through arid periods. We feel alone and abandoned, even by God. We don't understand what is going on or what has brought us to this point. Is God displeased with us? Is God punishing us? Is this part of our purification? Day in and day out we seem to be trudging alone with a sense of aimlessness and hopelessness. We have no direction. At times it feels that we are going in circles; things look de-ja-vu-familiar, as if we have been at this point before.
Like the Israelites, we remember the times in our own Egypt of bondage, when we had it better, even if we were slaves to sin. At least then we knew what to expect. But here in the desert we are totally dependent and vulnerable. There is no one but ourselves alone. Yes, there are people all around us; there is activity going on; we are going through the motions of daily life, but the spiritual emptiness will not go away. The holy things which use to mean something, use to satisfy us, no longer do.
We cry out and our words seem to drift into space. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, far from my prayer, from the words of my cry? O my God, I cry out by day, and you answer not; by night, and there is no relief for me" (Ps 22:2-3). There is no response. Our fear is that no one is listening and no one cares. Not even God. We cry even louder and with more fervor and desperation: "But you, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. Rescue my soul from the sword, my loneliness from the grip of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life" (Ps 22:20-22). There is only silence after the echo of my plea fades into the desert night. (To be continued)
Like the Israelites, we remember the times in our own Egypt of bondage, when we had it better, even if we were slaves to sin. At least then we knew what to expect. But here in the desert we are totally dependent and vulnerable. There is no one but ourselves alone. Yes, there are people all around us; there is activity going on; we are going through the motions of daily life, but the spiritual emptiness will not go away. The holy things which use to mean something, use to satisfy us, no longer do.
We cry out and our words seem to drift into space. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, far from my prayer, from the words of my cry? O my God, I cry out by day, and you answer not; by night, and there is no relief for me" (Ps 22:2-3). There is no response. Our fear is that no one is listening and no one cares. Not even God. We cry even louder and with more fervor and desperation: "But you, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. Rescue my soul from the sword, my loneliness from the grip of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life" (Ps 22:20-22). There is only silence after the echo of my plea fades into the desert night. (To be continued)
Novena To the Sacred Heart of Jesus
May 30-June 7, 2018
Divine Jesus, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you." Behold I come before you, filled with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by Your Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary. I come to ask this favor: (Mention your request).
To whom can I turn if not to You, Whose Heart is the source of all graces and merits? Where should I seek if not in the treasure which contains all the riches of Your kindness and mercy? Where should I knock if not at the door through which God gives Himself to us and through which we go to God? I have recourse to You, Heart of Jesus. In You I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when burdened with trials, and light in doubt and darkness.
Dear Jesus, I firmly believe that You can grant me the grace I implore, even though it should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be granted. I admit that I am most unworthy of Your favors, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercy, and You will not refuse a contrite heart. Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of You, and Your kind Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a reason for granting my prayer.
Sacred Heart, whatever may be Your decision with regard to my request, I will never stop adoring, loving, praising, and serving You. My Jesus, be pleased to accept this my act of perfect resignation to the decrees of Your adorable Heart, which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all Your creatures forever.
Grant me the grace for which I humbly implore You through the Immaculate Heart of Your most sorrowful Mother. You entrusted me to her as her child, and her prayers are all-powerful with You. Amen.
May 30-June 7, 2018
Divine Jesus, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you." Behold I come before you, filled with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by Your Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary. I come to ask this favor: (Mention your request).
To whom can I turn if not to You, Whose Heart is the source of all graces and merits? Where should I seek if not in the treasure which contains all the riches of Your kindness and mercy? Where should I knock if not at the door through which God gives Himself to us and through which we go to God? I have recourse to You, Heart of Jesus. In You I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when burdened with trials, and light in doubt and darkness.
Dear Jesus, I firmly believe that You can grant me the grace I implore, even though it should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be granted. I admit that I am most unworthy of Your favors, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercy, and You will not refuse a contrite heart. Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of You, and Your kind Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a reason for granting my prayer.
Sacred Heart, whatever may be Your decision with regard to my request, I will never stop adoring, loving, praising, and serving You. My Jesus, be pleased to accept this my act of perfect resignation to the decrees of Your adorable Heart, which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all Your creatures forever.
Grant me the grace for which I humbly implore You through the Immaculate Heart of Your most sorrowful Mother. You entrusted me to her as her child, and her prayers are all-powerful with You. Amen.
Thought of the Day May 30, 2018 Put on the mind of Christ
By spiritaflame 9:57 AM Thought of the Day
It is not enough to get rid of the root of sin; we must put on the mind of Christ. "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God's will, what is good, pleasing and perfect" (Rom 12:2) We don't want to spend our whole energy on getting rid of sin. That could become depressive. While dealing with sin and its roots, we want to be positive. We are interested not only in uprooting sin, but being transformed in the likeness of Christ. If we are always dealing only with the mud of life, we will never begin to appreciate the beauty of life. Both are part of life, but what is the better focus? What makes us more the person we are meant to be? "I live now, not I, but Christ Jesus in me." This is our desire. We deal with sin so that we can more fully reflect the life of Christ in who we are.
The more we fall in love with God the more we want to get rid of all sin in our lives, especially the habitual sins. That doesn't say we will never sin again, but sin will not be rooted. Sin is an act of non-love. Love is the opposite of sin. We must never get discouraged. The Saints tell us that it takes a life-time to become freer of sin in our life. But by constantly uprooting and not allowing sin to have a sway in our life, then we will desire God more. Love is the antidote of sin. The journey to God has many pitfalls, but it also has many graces to avoid the pitfalls.
Healing of memories is a process. Process: Go with Jesus into the past. What are the memories which are scared and painful, memories we have suppressed over the years because of the pain attached to them. When we get to a particular painful memory, we need not relive it but get in touch with it momentarily in the presence of Jesus. We need to forgive the person who may have been the source of the anger; we need to ask that person's forgiveness; we may need to forgive ourselves. Remember forgiveness to be authentic must come from the heart. Also forgiveness is not for the sake of the other, but for our sake. We are the ones under the bondage of anger. Once we have forgiven from the heart, then we need to bring that painful memory and place it at the foot of the cross, believing that Jesus died for all sin and guilt. Then, leaving the memory there, we are to walk away. As we do we will find Jesus on the road waiting to embrace and heal us with his love.
Thought of the Day May 25, 2018 Weakness can be strength
By spiritaflame 11:57 AM Thought of the Day
Sometimes when God shows us the "thorn in the flesh" it is for us to realize that we can't of ourselves do anything, except cry out to God. God will not remove it before we deal with it in our weakness. We have refused to forgive, we have held on to the situation, either out of guilt or needing to hold the other under some control. We have exercised power of control, now we need to exercise the power of weakness by forgiveness. "My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection." "And so I willingly boast of my weaknesses instead, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12: 9) In my pride I refuse to forgive, but in the power of Christ I can and choose to forgive. I want to be free. In surrendering I become free. The paradox!
As we deal with the roots of persistent sins, one of the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the grace of destroying the root of sin. Sometimes we limit the Sacrament to the forgiveness of sins and fail to open ourselves to the additional grace of eradication. Sometimes the root remains because we deal with the symptoms of sin and not the cause or source of sin. To get to this root cause or source I need to ask God to lead me into my past where this particular sin began to take root in me. Who, when , where, how are the questions to ask. Because a particular situation happened in my life either in fact or in perception, which was never fully reconciled through mutual forgiveness, then the root of the past continues to lead me into sin today. We are talking about the grace of healing of memories. A person may be struggling with anger not as an occasional sin but as a core sin in life. Each time we go to confession we confess the sin of anger. We never ask the question what is the root of my anger? We never ask God to lead us to the root or source. If we do and find that a certain person was the source of anger, then we need to bring this to the Lord.
Homily Feast of the Blessed Trinity Year B
Reading I: Though we can come to know that there is a
God and there is no other equal to him, we can arrive at this by our natural ability
to know and understand. But God in his
love for us has revealed himself to us in the Scriptures, which is a spiritual
gift. In this reading, Moses says God has done this through signs and wonders
that the people had experienced first- hand.
It was God who delivered the Israelites from their
bondage in Egypt with signs and wonders. The people heard the voice of God at
Mt. Sinai. All this and more God did to reveal to them that the Lord is God in
the heavens and on earth and that there is no other god. Why was this important? Because all around them were
people and nations who believed in the multiplicity of gods. To these
creatures, such as the sun, moon, stars, etc., they offered worship.
Moses goes on to say it is not enough to know and
believe in the One, true God. Because he made a covenant with them and chose
them to be his people, they were called to keep his commands, to live life in
relationship to him in love.
Take a few moments to recall what God has done for you
over the years, even before you were born and since your birth. And are you
living out your baptismal covenant with God?
Reading 2: The God of the Old Testament revealed
himself in a fuller way when people were ready to receive the fuller awareness
of the reality of God, namely the One God is Triune in person. Though we could
come to an awareness of the One God through our reasoning, we cannot, on our
own, come to the realization of the full mystery of the three Persons in the
One God.
How was this mystery revealed to us? God the Son
became man, so that he may show us the great love of the Father and the Spirit.
He did this by reconciling us to himself and restoring us to our true
relationship with God. This reality was later acknowledged in John’s Gospel: “God
so loved the world that he gave us his only Son, so that whoever believes in
him may have eternal life.” Jesus, in turn, in his own words and actions said
that he and the Father were one. “If you see me, you see the Father; if you
know me, you know the Father; I only do the works of my Father; the Father and
I will send you the Spirit, who will testify to you about me, and will be with
you, as the Father and I will be with you.”
Later, Paul will say in his letter to the Romans that
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit, who has been
given to us. In First Corinthians, he proclaims that it is the Spirit who
enables us to say Jesus is Lord. In today’s reading, Paul says that we have
received the spirit of adoption through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!” As the
Spirit bears witness about Jesus, He also bears witness that we are adopted
children of God.
As sons and daughters we are called to eternal life
with God. But before we can experience this glory, we will experience the
purifying suffering of human life, the cross. As the Spirit enabled Jesus to
bear the cross for our sake, so the Spirit will empower us, not to avoid the
cross, but to embrace it with the end always before us.
Gospel: Even though the term Trinity is not mentioned
in the scriptures, the reality of the Trinity is, as we heard in the Gospel.
Jesus tells his disciples to baptize in the “name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is the summation of Jesus’ revelation of the
reality of the One God who is Triune in Persons.
Over the years, through the further revelation of the
Spirit to the Church, we have been able to acknowledge that the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit are distinct but equal. Their life is a life of love, which unites
them as one. Just as the Old Testament people were told by Moses that their
response to God’s revelation of himself is to keep his commandments, Jesus
tells us, not only to do this, but to make disciples and teach others, to be
witnesses of this mystery in our lives.
How? We acknowledge the Trinity publicly when we sign
ourselves with the sign of the cross; when we publicly pray “Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit….” The prayers in the Mass are offered to God
the Father, through the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the Creed each Sunday we
profess belief in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit.
But a profession of faith can be mere words unless we
are living the reality of the Trinity in our lives by sharing our faith with
others, sharing who God is to us and what God has done in each of our lives.
Thought of the Day May 23, 2018 Get rid of the root of sin
By spiritaflame 1:28 PM Thought of the Day
"When the unclean spirit departs from a man, it roams through arid wastes searching for a place of rest and finding none. Then it says, 'I will go back where I came from,' and returns to find the dwelling unoccupied, though swept and tidied now. Off it goes again to bring back with it this time seven spirits more evil than itself. They move in and settle there. Thus the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." (Mt 12:43-45)
We have to replace the vices we seek to rid ourselves of and incorporate virtues. Many times we think that just because we have confessed our sins then we are good to go. But the reality is, if there is no sincere desire to recognize sin as sin and to have a horror of sin, to see sin as God sees sin, then the habit of sin remains and eventually returns.Good intentions are not enough. There must be a sincere desire to deal with sin not on the surface but at its root cause. Example: Bad weeds will continue to grow and take over a garden if only we cut the tops off. There is need to dig to the core or nut of the weed, uproot it totally from the ground, if we wish to rid the garden of weeds. The same is true with sin. Until, with God's grace and strength, we get rid of the root of our sin, it will return to control us.
We have to replace the vices we seek to rid ourselves of and incorporate virtues. Many times we think that just because we have confessed our sins then we are good to go. But the reality is, if there is no sincere desire to recognize sin as sin and to have a horror of sin, to see sin as God sees sin, then the habit of sin remains and eventually returns.Good intentions are not enough. There must be a sincere desire to deal with sin not on the surface but at its root cause. Example: Bad weeds will continue to grow and take over a garden if only we cut the tops off. There is need to dig to the core or nut of the weed, uproot it totally from the ground, if we wish to rid the garden of weeds. The same is true with sin. Until, with God's grace and strength, we get rid of the root of our sin, it will return to control us.
Reflection on Scripture Solemnity of the Holy Trinity Gospel B
By spiritaflame 9:40 AM Reading Reflections
Feast of the Holy Trinity Gospel Reflections Mt 28:16-20 B
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
“Eleven”: as of yet Judas had not been replaced. This happens when the disciples return to the Upper Room and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. There they elect Matthias.
· This final scene in Matthews’ Gospel occurs in Galilee; in Luke’s Gospel it occurs in Judea, on the Mt of Olives outside of Jerusalem. The difference is the theological perspective of each writer.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
“to worship, while doubting” sounds like a contradiction. Seeing Jesus in his risen and glorified state of being brings them to bow down before Jesus in adoration and wonder. At the same time, their doubt may be their own role, their future, what they are to do as disciples. Their doubt will be cleared up with Jesus’ next statement.
· Have we ever experienced some doubt about our role in life, our future?
Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
· Jesus as the Son of God had all power. But now Jesus, in his glorified humanity and as the Risen Lord and Savior, states that all power has been given him by the Father. Now, he, in turn, empowers the apostles and those who follow them with a share in that power and authority.
· The effectiveness of that power will await the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
What power of Jesus do you share?
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Their mission is clear: a)make disciples; b) baptize; c) teach, d) obedience
Outside of baptism, we are called to make disciples and to teach the truth by word and deed in obedience to Jesus. How well are we fulfilling this commission?
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
Knowing that Jesus was about to leave them was a concern to them. But knowing that he promised to be with them always must have been a consolation. He gives us that same consolation. How conscious are we of this presence of Jesus?
What is not said here is that the Spirit also will be with them and us. How conscious are we of this reality as well?
What does this passage say to you? How do you apply these words of Jesus to your life?
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
“Eleven”: as of yet Judas had not been replaced. This happens when the disciples return to the Upper Room and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. There they elect Matthias.
· This final scene in Matthews’ Gospel occurs in Galilee; in Luke’s Gospel it occurs in Judea, on the Mt of Olives outside of Jerusalem. The difference is the theological perspective of each writer.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
“to worship, while doubting” sounds like a contradiction. Seeing Jesus in his risen and glorified state of being brings them to bow down before Jesus in adoration and wonder. At the same time, their doubt may be their own role, their future, what they are to do as disciples. Their doubt will be cleared up with Jesus’ next statement.
· Have we ever experienced some doubt about our role in life, our future?
Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
· Jesus as the Son of God had all power. But now Jesus, in his glorified humanity and as the Risen Lord and Savior, states that all power has been given him by the Father. Now, he, in turn, empowers the apostles and those who follow them with a share in that power and authority.
· The effectiveness of that power will await the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
What power of Jesus do you share?
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Their mission is clear: a)make disciples; b) baptize; c) teach, d) obedience
Outside of baptism, we are called to make disciples and to teach the truth by word and deed in obedience to Jesus. How well are we fulfilling this commission?
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
Knowing that Jesus was about to leave them was a concern to them. But knowing that he promised to be with them always must have been a consolation. He gives us that same consolation. How conscious are we of this presence of Jesus?
What is not said here is that the Spirit also will be with them and us. How conscious are we of this reality as well?
What does this passage say to you? How do you apply these words of Jesus to your life?
Thought of the Day May 22, 2018 Put on the mind of Christ.
By spiritaflame 9:28 AM Thought of the Day
"You must lay aside your former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire, and acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking. You must put on that new man created in God's image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth." (Eph 4:22-24)
As we deal with the roots of sin in our lives, we have to learn a "fresh, spiritual way of thinking." What does that mean? Instead of focusing on ourselves, seeking what pleases us, we must choose to focus on God, to see ourselves as God sees us. God sees us as his beloved sons and daughters. That is our true identity. To become more fully this, we need to turn away from what denies that, namely sin, and choose to live in the light of who we truly are. The more I desire to be a son or daughter of God, the more I will have the determination to turn away from what prevents me from living this new life in Christ. This is not easy. But with the grace of God it is truly attainable no matter my past.
As we deal with the roots of sin in our lives, we have to learn a "fresh, spiritual way of thinking." What does that mean? Instead of focusing on ourselves, seeking what pleases us, we must choose to focus on God, to see ourselves as God sees us. God sees us as his beloved sons and daughters. That is our true identity. To become more fully this, we need to turn away from what denies that, namely sin, and choose to live in the light of who we truly are. The more I desire to be a son or daughter of God, the more I will have the determination to turn away from what prevents me from living this new life in Christ. This is not easy. But with the grace of God it is truly attainable no matter my past.
"I do not do what I want to do but what I hate....the desire to do right is there but not the power. What happens is that I do, not the good I will to do, but the evil I do not intend....This means that even though I want to do what is right, a law that leads to wrongdoing is always ready at hand. My inner self agrees with the law of God, but I see in my body's members another law at war with the law of my mind; this makes me the prisoner of the laws of sin in my members. What a wretched person I am! Who can free me from this body under the power of death? All praise to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So with my mind I serve the law of God but with my flesh the law of sin." (Rom 7:15-25)
Sin tends to root itself in us, like a bad weed. That is why we struggle with certain sins in our lives. Because we have fallen into them so often in the past they become a stronghold within us. This is the law of sin Paul is referring to. If we don't take this struggle seriously and learn how we are weak but Christ is strong in me, sin will continue to pull me down. Jesus has won the victory through his death and resurrection. We need to turn our weakness over to him, so that his strength and grace can eventually free us from this particular bondage.
Thought of the Day May 18, 2018 Prayer to the Holy Spirit
By spiritaflame 9:27 AM Thought of the Day
As we prepare for the celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, this Sunday, I share this prayer from St. Augustine to the Holy Spirit.
"Breath in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy."
Pray this prayer slowly and intentionally, asking for the Holy Spirit to come into your life in a fresh new way so that you may be able to fulfill your call from Jesus to be his witness in the power of the Holy Spirit.
"Breath in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy."
Pray this prayer slowly and intentionally, asking for the Holy Spirit to come into your life in a fresh new way so that you may be able to fulfill your call from Jesus to be his witness in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Homily Pentecost Sunday Year B
By spiritaflame 1:57 PM Homily
Homily Pentecost Sunday Year B
Reading 1: Last Sunday, we heard Jesus tell the
Apostles that they were to wait after his Ascension for the coming of the Holy
Spirit. He said they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And when the Spirit
came they would receive power to witness in his name about God’s plan for
salvation. Today, we heard that all were filled with the Holy Spirit. Both
terms speak about the same phenomena that the Apostles, Mary, the 120 disciples
and all those thenceforth would experience.
What did they experience and what did they do. They
received the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. As a result they manifested
some of the gifts of the Spirit, such as speaking in different tongues, which
we heard Jesus in Last Sunday’s Gospel speak about. And they witnessed the
mighty acts of God, namely the life, death, resurrection and ascension of
Jesus. They proclaimed the good news of God’s love for his people through the
person of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
All this is a confirmation and fulfillment of the
words of Jesus, especially before he ascended to the Father. But it was also
the beginning of the new mission that Jesus had given to his followers. What
they had experienced in the ministry of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, while
he was on earth, has now become their mission until the end of time.
Let’s look at the extraordinary events that took place
on Pentecost. Ordinary men and women were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
These ordinary people having been transformed by the Holy Spirit, are gifted
with new languages. They began to witness about God’s love in a way that touched
the hearts of their hearers and in the language of their hearers.
What follows this episode is the first homily that
Peter preaches in the power of the Spirit. He proclaims Jesus as Lord and
Savior. The people ask him what was expected of them. Peter gave three brief
points: Repent, believe and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and then they too
would receive the Holy Spirit. He concluded: “For the promise is for you and
for your children, and for all who are far away; for whomever the Lord our God
will have called.”
As we celebrate this Feast, how does this event and
message apply to us? Are we filled with the Holy Spirt? Are we witnessing our
faith?
Reading 2: Paul states that no one can say, “Jesus is
Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. This is a role of the Holy Spirit, to testify the
truth about Jesus. He is our Lord and God. But this testimony is validated and
confirmed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These particular gifts are given for
the benefit of others, so that they can come to a deeper awareness of God’s
love and plan for them. What is not included in today’s reading is a list of
some of these extraordinary gifts given to ordinary people: word of wisdom,
word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and
interpretation of tongues.
Paul indicates that this is normal Christian life to
be filled with the Spirit, to proclaim Jesus as Lord and to exercise one or
more of these gifts for the benefit of bringing others to Jesus. We have received these gifts in Baptism and
Confirmation. But for the most part these gifts lie dormant within us. They
need to be stirred up and activated to fulfill the purpose they were given,
namely witnessing in the power of the Spirit of the mighty deeds of God.
Gospel: The first words of the resurrected Jesus was
peace not chastisement, to assure the apostles that he forgave them for abandoning
him in the time of his greatest need. Then he commissions them: “As the Father
has sent me, so I send you.” The Father sent Jesus in the power and under the
anointing of the Holy Spirit to bring the good news of salvation and love to
the world. Then, he breathes on them and says: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
In John’s theology, you cannot separate the events of
the Pascal Mystery. The death and
resurrection of Jesus, his ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit must be
seen together, even though in time they happened separately.
On Easter we had an opportunity to renew our
commitment to God through the renewal of our baptismal promises. We were renewing our yes to grow in holiness
of life. Today, we have an opportunity to pray for a fresh stirring up of the gifts of the Spirit so that we can
fulfill our mission as disciples of Jesus, namely to witness him to others in
the power of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders as our credentials.
This is God’s plan and expectation for his disciples. “As
the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Our life is not to be business as
usual, but a life of a public witness of the truth of the Gospel of
salvation. Our life and actions are to
be our greatest manifestation of this truth. What God has done for me, God
wants to do for you. Repent, believe and expect that gift of the Holy Spirit.
"Praise is the 'breath' which gives us life, because it is intimacy with God, an intimacy that
grows through daily praise. Some time ago I heard an example of this
which seems very appropriate: the way that people breathe. Breathing is made up
of two stages: inhaling, the intake of air, and exhaling, the letting out of
this air. The spiritual life is fed, nourished, by prayer and is expressed
outwardly through mission: inhaling - prayer - and then exhaling. When we
inhale, by prayer, we receive the fresh air of the Holy Spirit. When exhaling
this air, we announce Jesus Christ risen by the same Spirit. No one can live
without breathing. It is the same for the Christian: without praise and mission
there is no Christian life. Praise, adoration are needed. When speaking of
adoration, little is said. What do we do when praying? We ask something from
God, we thank him, we intercede. But adoration, adoring God is part of a Christian’s
breathing: praise and adoration…. It is the recognition of the Lordship
of God over us and over all creation expressed through dance, music and song." Pope Francis What happens is we have only one lung? Our life is limited. But what happens if both lungs are blocked? What kind of life do we have? Maybe that reflects our spiritual life at times. Something is missing. Is it the lack of praise and adoration in our life? Is it the lack of apostolic mission? For our life to be be lived fully in the Spirit, we need to be a person of praise and adoration and a person committed to witness the love and power of God in our lives to others.
Tracks Capital Punishment
By spiritaflame 10:11 AM Apologetic Tracks
Capital
Punishment
The issue of Capital Punishment is one
of justice or mercy, of the sacredness of all life regardless of circumstances
or an eye for eye mentality. Because of the nature of the heinous crime
committed by the perpetrator this issue becomes a hot bottom stirring up all
kinds of emotions: from anger to hate, from revenge and the desire for
retaliation to resentment and non-forgiveness.
Regardless of one’s personal feelings, this tract will attempt to
present the Church’s teaching as objectively as possible.
I would like to begin with some
statistical facts. In the United States alone, between 1976 till 2012, 1338
persons were executed for crimes they committed. A reason given for the need
for capital punishment is that it deters heinous crime. However, this is not
the belief of experts. According to a survey of the former and 2009 presidents
of the country’s top academic criminological societies, 88% of these experts rejected
the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. (Radelet &
Lacock, 2009)
A report by the National Research
Council, titled Deterrence and the Death Penalty, stated that studies claiming
that the death penalty has a deterrent effect on murder rates are
“fundamentally flawed” and should not be used when making policy decisions.
(2012)
A 2009 poll commissioned by DPIC found
police chiefs ranked the death penalty last among ways to reduce violent crime.
The police chiefs also considered the death penalty the least efficient use of
taxpayers’ money.
A 2010 poll by Lake Research Partners
found that a clear majority of voters (61%) would choose a punishment other
than the death penalty for murder.
Now let’s look at the Church’s teaching
on this issue:
The first principle is that all life
is sacred: from the life of the unborn to the life of the elderly. Life is
sacred because God is the origin and the destiny of all life. Human beings are
the cooperators, recipients and stewards of life. This sacredness reflects the
God-given dignity that each human person has from being created in the image
and likeness of God. The dignity of both the one who causes the crime and the
victim of the crime must be respected and upheld.
In his encyclical Gospel of Life “Evangelium Vitae”,
Pope John Paul stated this very clearly. He said that “the dignity of human
life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great
evil. Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively
denying criminals the chance to reform” (Gospel of Life, 27).
The second principle is that this
sacredness of life is morally and physically violated when one intentionally—not
in self-defense—take the life of an innocent person. It is an offense against the law of nature
and the moral law of God as found in the Fifth Commandment. As an intrinsic
evil, it is an offense against God and of society. Every act has consequences. The consequence for this intrinsic evil
demands some form of punishment to bring about both retribution and
rehabilitation.
Cain is an example of this principle
in the Old Testament. Cain shed the blood of his brother, Abel, because of
jealousy. How did God respond? He
confronted Cain and brought the deed done in darkness into the light. Cain’s
punishment was not death but banishment and the life of a nomad. God’s justice
was laced with mercy for Cain’s rehabilitation not destruction.
The third principle is that the New
Covenant established by Jesus through his death and resurrection fulfills the
Old Covenant. In the Old Testament there
are at least twenty plus crimes that warrant the death penalty: including
murder, idolatry, blasphemy, adultery, rape, apostasy, incest and kidnapping. At the same time, as shown above with Cain,
not all these crimes incurred the death of the offender. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba,
who then conceived a child, and David had Uriah, her husband killed so that he
could cover up his evil deeds, God confronted David through the prophet,
Nathan. God did not require the life of
David for his double sin.
The same is true in the New
Testament. The Pharisees brought a woman
caught in adultery to Jesus to see what he would say. According to the Law she
should have been stoned to death. Instead,
Jesus extended his mercy and pardon to her and told her to turn away from this
sin. Paul separated the Christian in the
Corinthian community through excommunication for the sin of incest. His purpose
was to reconcile and to rehabilitate
the individual, not to take his life.
The fourth principle is that the
Church teaches that though the State has the right to carry out capital
punishment, it should find other means to bring justice and restoration of
right order. Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph
2267: The traditional teaching of the
Church does not exclude, presupposing full ascertainment of the identity and
responsibility of the offender, recourse to the death penalty, when this is the
only practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively against
the aggressor.
If, instead, bloodless means are
sufficient to defend against the
aggressor and to protect the safety of persons, public authority should
limit itself to such means, because they
better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in
conformity to the dignity of the human person.
Today, in fact, given the means at the
State’s disposal to effectively repress crime by rendering inoffensive the one
who has committed it, without depriving him definitively of the possibility of redeeming
himself, cases of absolute necessity for suppression of the offender “today …
are very rare, if not practically non-existent.” (CCC 2267)
What this says is that though the
State has the right in the order of justice to execute, it should not exercise
that right because in the order of mercy there are other means that can be
taken to bring justice and rehabilitation than the death penalty, such as life
without parole. The reason given is it is better for the common good of society
and it is in harmony with the God-given dignity of each human person,
regardless of actions done.
Again, Pope John Paul II in his
encyclical The Gospel of Life was very explicit about the teaching of the
Church on Capital Punishment. He wrote:
This is the context in which to place
the problem of the death penalty. On this matter there is a growing tendency,
both in the Church and in civil society, to demand that it be applied in a very
limited way or even that it be abolished completely. The problem must be viewed
in the context of a system of penal justice ever more in line with human
dignity and thus, in the end, with God's plan for man and society. The primary
purpose of the punishment which society inflicts is "to redress the disorder
caused by the offence." (46) Public authority must redress the violation of
personal and social rights by imposing on the offender an adequate punishment
for the crime, as a condition for the offender to regain the exercise of his or
her freedom. In this way authority also fulfills the purpose of defending
public order and ensuring people's safety, while at the same time offering the
offender an incentive and help to change his or her behavior and be
rehabilitated. (47)
Further he stated that the execution
of the offender of a serious crime is only appropriate "in cases of
absolute necessity, in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to
defend society. Today, however, as a result of steady improvement in the
organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically
nonexistent." (56)
The Church’s teaching is consistent
with the culture of life from natural birth to natural death. The United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for more than thirty years has called
for the cessation of capital punishment. "Ending the death penalty would be one important step away from a culture
of death and toward building a culture of life.” (A Culture of Life and the Penalty of
Death United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005)
In
our consideration of capital punishment, we must never lose sight of the
victims of the accused and their families. There is no way to fully understand
the depth of their hurt and lost. At the same time we know that revenge and
retaliation have never brought the innocent victim back nor alleviate the
suffering of those left behind. There is no justification for the crime. What
is needed is the compassionate love and support of others and the healing that
only comes through forgiveness. Jesus gave us the example when from the cross
he cried to the Father: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they
are doing.” Through his example Jesus
was showing that we do not condone the crime or the intent of the perpetrators,
but we free ourselves from the bondage of anger, hate and revenge through the
decision of forgiveness.
Here is what Pope Francis has said about the prayer of
praise.
“Praising God is
completely gratis. In it we do not ask Him to give us anything:
we do not express gratitude for anything He has given; we praise Him!” Then he
asked some piercing questions: “Do I know how to praise the Lord? Do I
know how to praise the Lord when I pray the Gloria or the Sanctus? Is my whole
heart really in it, or do I merely mouth [the words].” He continued: “The
prayer of praise makes us fruitful! Sarah danced in the great moment of her
fecundity - at the age of ninety! The fruitfulness that praise of the Lord
gives us, the gratuity of praising the Lord: that man or that woman who praises
the Lord, who prays praising the Lord, who, when praying the Gloria is
filled with joy at doing so, and who, when singing the Sanctus in
the Mass rejoices in singing it, is a fruitful person."
A conscious and participating celebration of the Mass will bring us into the presence of the Lord, preparing us for our life in eternity. Praise is at the heart of our worship now and then.
God wants us to praise him because it is right and
good for us to do so. Praise is at the heart of our worship in Mass. The celebrant at Mass proclaims this in the opening
prayer of each Eucharistic prayer. Listen to the beginning of Preface II for
Easter. “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, at all times
to acclaim you, O Lord, but in this time above all to praise you yet more
gloriously when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.”
Now listen to the
conclusion: “And so, with Angels and
Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory, as without end we acclaim:” To which we sing the hymn of praise of the angels. “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”
with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory, as without end we acclaim:” To which we sing the hymn of praise of the angels. “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”
Then the celebrant ends Eucharistic Prayer II with the
following proclamation:
“Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the blessed
Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages, we may
merit to be coheirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you.”
What we do in each Mass should flow into our daily lives. Thus our worship of God will be continuous from Mass to Mass.
Thought of the Day May 14, 2018 Praise an expression of joy.
By spiritaflame 9:44 AM Thought of the Day
Our praise is an expression of our love for God.
Someone has aptly said: “When we
act out our love and acknowledgment of Him in this way, we fulfill our purpose;
and when we are rightly fulfilling our purpose, we have the best possible
joy—God is pleased, our relationship with Him is enhanced, and He has rightly
received what He deserves.”
Someone else has
said: “We praise what we enjoy because the delight is incomplete until
it is expressed in praise. If we were not allowed to speak of what we value and
celebrate what we love and praise what we admire, our joy would not be full.”
Our praise of God flows from the awareness of God's love for us and our desire to respond in a sacrifice of praise in return. The more we express our praise to God, our capacity to praise increases and expands. Like the psalmists, we cannot contain our desire to celebrate God's being and goodness.
Be attentive today to the opportunities to praise the Lord.
Homily Feast of the Ascension Year B
By spiritaflame 10:00 AM Homily
Homily
Feast of the Ascension Year B
Reading
1: What we celebrate today is a major feast of the Paschal Mystery, which is
God’s plan of salvation for us. It is the Feast of Transition. What is the
Paschal Mystery? It is the core of the Gospel message: the Incarnation, the
life, the teaching, the suffering, the death and resurrection, the Ascension of
the Lord and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
According
to God’s plan the Son would become man, suffer, die, rise from the dead
glorified and return to the Father, where he sits in glory at the right hand of
the Father. He returned to the Father to prepare a place for us, to send the
Holy Spirit and to intercede for us until he returns to judge the living and
the dead.
In
this reading he gives his final instructions to the Apostles, preparing them
for the next great moment in the Paschal Mystery, namely the coming of the Holy
Spirit, who would continue and complete the work of our salvation. Jesus came
to save us, reconciling us to the Father as his sons and daughters. The Spirit
comes to sanctify us and to empower us for mission.
The
term “to be baptized with the Holy Spirit” implies those three graces:
sanctification, empowerment and mission. To further elaborate the second grace,
Jesus said: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Then
he said that the mission is to be witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit of
the salvific plan of God.
We
have been baptized in water and the Holy Spirit. We have received a fresh
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. In both Baptism,
where we became disciples empowered to be holy, and in Confirmation, where we
became empowered witnesses of Jesus, we have been given all we need to fulfill
our role as disciple witnesses.
The
question to ask is to what extent am I consciously growing and seeking to grow
in holiness as a disciple of Jesus? And the second question is to what extent
am I consciously witnessing my faith to others in the power of the Holy Spirit?
Reading
2: The reality of the Ascension and its effects are reflected in this reading
by Paul. He proclaimed that the Father raised Jesus from the dead and seated
him at his right hand above all other creatures and put all things under him.
But because the coming of the Spirit had occurred upon the people in Ephesus,
Paul prays for a stirring up of the gifts of the Spirit in the lives of the
Christian disciple/witnesses. What gifts specifically? Wisdom and revelation,
knowledge and understanding! Why these gifts? So that they may be freer to move
in the empowerment gifts which would confirm their witness, such as prophecy,
healing, discernment, faith, word of knowledge, etc.
Gospel:
We heard Luke’s account in the Acts of the Apostles of the Ascension of Jesus,
preparing for the coming of the Holy Spirit. We heard Paul’s teaching on the
Ascension and its on-going effects in the life of the disciple/witnesses. Now,
in the Gospel we have Mark’s proclamation. Anticipating the coming of the
Spirit, Jesus instructs the apostles to proclaim the gospel of salvation to
all, namely to witness his saving message.
But
in doing so, they are to be open to the very signs and wonders that he
evidenced in his own ministry: deliverance, speaking in tongues, healing etc.
This was to confirm what he told them at the Last Supper. “The man who has
faith in me will do the things I did and far greater.” After the Ascension and
Pentecost the Apostles and the disciples did what Jesus told them to do. Mark
ends today’s Gospel with these words: “They went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying
signs.
It
was the gift of the Spirit that empowered them and missioned them and has
continued to so even till today through those who believe.
Thought of the Day May 11, 2018 Praise and the wonders of God
By spiritaflame 9:54 AM Thought of the Day
God responds sometimes to the
praises of his people with mighty signs and wonders.
The Apostles prayed ten days after the Ascension of Jesus and the Holy Spirit came upon them with tongues of fire and signs and wonders followed.
“About midnight Paul
and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were
listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the
foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were
opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.” Acts 16:25-26
When we praise God for who he is in spite of our circumstances, we open ourselves to the marvelous works of God. God responds to the sincere praises of his people in ways that are beyond expectation. The three young men, thrown in the white hot furnace praised God with hymns and psalms. They were not singed by the fire and their clothes did not have the smell of smoke. They were spared.
At all times, praise the Lord and be open to the plan of God for you!
NOVENA TO THE HOLY
SPIRIT
May 11-19, 2018
First
Day Holy
Spirit, Lord of light, from your clear celestial height, your pure beaming
radiance give. Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Let
us pray
O
God who has taught the hearts of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit;
grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever
rejoice in his consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Second Day Come, O Father of the poor, Come
with treasures which endure, Come, O light of all that live. Come, Holy Spirit,
come
Let
us pray
O
Holy Spirit, father of the poor, come fill my poverty-stricken soul out of the
plenty of your eternal riches. Warn me, I beg, of every opportunity in my daily
round of duty, to lay up treasures where no thief approaches nor moth corrupts,
that I may enjoy them together with you forever. Amen.
Third Day You of all consoler’s best, visiting
the troubled breast, refreshing peace bestow.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Let us pray
O Divine Consoler, and of all Comforters the best, to you do we
come in trouble and distress. Do, in the all-powerful name of Jesus, our
Redeemer, and out of love for Mary, our sorrowful Mother and your chaste
Spouse, come to our assistance and comfort us in all our trials and
tribulations. Amen
Fourth Day You in toil are comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat, Solace in the midst of woe. Come, Holy Spirit,
come.
Let us pray
O God, who gives the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, grant to your
people the effect of their pious prayers, that on those to whom you have given
grace, you may also bestow peace. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
Fifth Day Light immortal, light divine, Visit
these hearts of yours. And our inmost being fill. Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Let us pray
May the Paraclete, who proceeds from you, enlighten our minds, we
beseech, O Lord; and even as your Son has promised, may he lead us into all
truth. Amen.
Sixth Day If you take your grace away, nothing
pure in man will stay; all his good is turned to ill. Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Let us pray
Send down, we ask, O Lord, your Holy Spirit in his might, to the
merciful purifying of our hearts and to our sure deliverance from all danger.
Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen
Seventh Day Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
on our dryness pour your dew; Wash the stains of guilt away. Come, Holy Spirit,
come.
Let us pray
Burn up, O Lord, the stains of our hearts in the fire of the Holy
Spirit; that chaste of body and clean of heart, our service may be well
pleasing to you. Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.
Eighth Day Bend the stubborn heart and will,
Melt the frozen, warm the chill, Guide the steps that go astray. Come, Holy
Spirit, come.
Let us pray
Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, come into our hearts; give to all
peoples the brightness of your light, that they may be well pleasing to you in
unity of faith. Amen
Ninth Day On those who evermore, confess and adore
you, in your sevenfold gift descend. Give
them comfort when they die Give them life with you on high, Give them joys
which never end. Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Let us pray
Send down upon us, we ask, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, that, inspired
and encouraged by him, we may comply with the duties of our state, carry our
daily crosses patiently, and grow daily in Christian perfection. Grant us, we
beseech through the same Divine Spirit, the intentions of this novena or what
is most conducive to our eternal salvation and your glory. Amen
A life of praise on earth is a preparation of our eternal life
with God where we will praise God with all the angels and Saints. Listen to the words in the Book of Revelation: "'Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain to receive
power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.' Then I heard every creature in
heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the
universe, cry out: ‘To the one
who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and
ever.'” (Rev 5:12-13)
This is just one citation of the praise in heaven that is offered to God as found in the Book of Revelation. If our life in heaven will include praising God for who he is, should we not begin now entering into the praises of God with all the angels, saints and creation? It will not be an option in heaven and should not be an option now in our lives. Praise the Lord! Alleluia!!
Yes, Praise brings joy to the heart of those who utter
it.
Here's how C.S. Lewis puts it in Reflections on the
Psalms:
I had never noticed that all enjoyment
spontaneously overflows into praise…. The world rings with praise—lovers
praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the
countryside, players praising their favourite game…. I had not noticed either
that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they
spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: 'Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it
glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?' The Psalmists in telling everyone
to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care
about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on
my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight
to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value. I think
we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but
completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of
compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the
delight is incomplete till it is expressed.
The more our praise flows from the reality of our relationship with God, the more the relationship brings joy within us. The more free and spontaneous our praise of God is, the more joy becomes a obvious feeling within us. Praise, thus, elicits joy.
Feast of the Ascension B
Jesus said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
· This commissioning was not just for the apostles but also for all those who are baptized and confirmed. What are we doing to proclaim the good news of God’s love to others?
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
· How conscious and grateful are we of the gift of baptism and what are we doing to deepen God’s life within us?
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
· Some of these signs and wonders were the very ones that became credentials validating the word and ministry of Jesus. Jesus himself said that those who believe in him would do the works he did and greater ones. (Jn 14:12).
· Am I open to the Lord working through me in the gifts of the Spirit referred to by Jesus as part of the proclamation?
· What manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit have I seen already in my life?
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
· Do you think that what Jesus commanded and promised was only for the early Church or is meant to be the norm even today? How open are we for this to happen in our lives?
· Pray that the Holy Spirit, given to you in Baptism and Confirmation, will stir up once more his gifts within you, beginning with the gift of sharing your faith with others.
Jesus said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
· This commissioning was not just for the apostles but also for all those who are baptized and confirmed. What are we doing to proclaim the good news of God’s love to others?
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
· How conscious and grateful are we of the gift of baptism and what are we doing to deepen God’s life within us?
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
· Some of these signs and wonders were the very ones that became credentials validating the word and ministry of Jesus. Jesus himself said that those who believe in him would do the works he did and greater ones. (Jn 14:12).
· Am I open to the Lord working through me in the gifts of the Spirit referred to by Jesus as part of the proclamation?
· What manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit have I seen already in my life?
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
· Do you think that what Jesus commanded and promised was only for the early Church or is meant to be the norm even today? How open are we for this to happen in our lives?
· Pray that the Holy Spirit, given to you in Baptism and Confirmation, will stir up once more his gifts within you, beginning with the gift of sharing your faith with others.
Thought of the Day May 8, 2018 Come into God's presence with praise
By spiritaflame 9:33 AM Thought of the Day
When we praise God we are reminded that he knows all
of our needs, what is best for us and will take care of us according to his
plan and timing. Our role is to praise him as we remember his mighty deeds. It is a way to surrender ourselves into his hands.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who
redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”
Psalm. 103:2-4
God calls us to come into his presence.
Authentic praise of God ushers us into the divine presence more than anything
else.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his
courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” Psalm. 100:4
“He inhabits the praises of His people.”
Psalm. 22:3 Are we more a people of praise or a people of petition? If we are more a people of praise, when we do come to him with our needs, God may be more responsive as he sees our heart's authenticity.
