March 12th, 2008 by admin
Paul contrasts the absolute difference between living a life under the death of sin and living a life under the grace of the Holy Spirit. In truth, there is little to compare because the difference is so great between the two states of life. I wonder if this is our own experience under the Spirit of God? If it is not, then perhaps we need to surrender more and bring our lives fully under the grace of God.
Romans 8:8-11
8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
March 12th, 2008 by admin
This prophecy of Ezekiel is rather amazing in that its content speaks specifically of the resurrection of the dead – God will raise his people from their graves. This is precisely the hope that we are given through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As we reflect upon the words of Ezekiel, let us marvel at how God has prepared His people for this truth from centuries before the sending of Jesus, His Son, to bring it about.
Ezekiel 37:12-14
12 Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! 14 I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.
P S A L M
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice! 2 Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. (R) 3 If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? 4 But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. (R) 5 I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. 6 More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the LORD. (R) 7 For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; 8 and he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
March 12th, 2008 by admin
Christians are challenged to submit their lives to the rule of the Spirit of God. The other choice is to live according to the passions of the flesh. St. Paul is a man who understands how easy it is to be good-willed and yet wrong in one’s understanding of a particular matter. We first meet him in the Acts of the Apostles when he is getting permission to arrest and persecute the early Christian Church. He thought he was doing God’s will in this. However, he discovers how wrong he was and becomes a Christian himself. God raised St. Paul to become one of the greatest evangelists the Church has ever seen.
Paul’s early life was guided by his pride. He thought he knew all there was to know about the things of God and he acted accordingly. But he failed to allow himself to be guided by the Spirit of God in this judgment. The same can happen to us if we do not consciously submit ourselves to the guiding wisdom of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. This requires great humility and the willingness to seek out the Spirit’s wisdom through prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. We also have the teachings of the Church and the lives of the saints to guide us. Only when we do this will we be able to fully discern God’s will and receive the grace to be able to live it.
In the Gospels, we see Jesus returning to prayer, seeking His Father’s wisdom concerning the next step in His ministry. We need to learn from the humility of Jesus and recognize that if it is good enough for the Son of God to submit His life to the Father, then it ought to be good enough for us as well. There is protection in uniting our minds and hearts with the will of God that we will not find in our own wills or strength. This is why the Scriptures always applaud as wise those who place their lives under the grace of God in submission to His will.
Fr. Steve Tynan
Reflection Question:
Do I tend to live and act as an independent spirit, or am I willing to live according to God’s will – in submission to the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
Lord Jesus, open my heart to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and grant me the grace of humility in ever-growing abundance, so that I will submit my life to His power and grace.
St. Frances of Rome, religious, pray for us.
March 12th, 2008 by admin
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” – John 11:25
My mother died of cancer. I didn’t leap for joy when the doctor told us about her condition. But another part of me was happy that if she didn’t get healed, she would still be in a far better place than earth could ever be.
So when she died a few months after her surgery, I prayed hard that the Lord would make her worthy to enter that blessed place. Recently, she appeared in a dream. She was smiling. So now even as I continue to pray for her, I also more often ask for her intercession.
I savor my hope-filled view of death because I got delivered from the fear of dying after I came to know Jesus in a more personal way. Now I look forward to that time without worry. I will probably still commit sin, and I don’t know how long the journey will take, or how difficult it will be. But as surely as Jesus said it, then He will raise me to everlasting life.
We don’t have to be saints to believe there is heaven. We just need to believe in the One who will let us enter it — Jesus. Joy Sosoban
REFLECTION:
Heaven… to Him of adequate desire No further ‘tis, than Here. (Emily Dickinson)
In light or darkness, Lord, let me believe steadfastly in heaven.
March 11th, 2008 by admin
Saint SilVin of auChy
Silvin, also known as Silvinus, was born in Toulouse, France. He served as a courtier of Childeric II and Theodoric III. The man gave up his worldly possessions and became a penitential pilgrim to Jerusalem and a number of holy sites. He was ordained priest in Rome then consecrated regional bishop.
Silvin devoted 40 years of his life in missionary activities by evangelizing in the area around Therouanne and Toulouse and preaching about Christian truths and obligations. He taught the pagans to renounce the pleasures of life by applying the strong lessons of self-denial and mortification. In the end, he retired to the Benedictine Abbey of Auchy-les-Moines.
Saint Silvin died on February 15, some time between the years 718-720. His feast day is commemorated on February 17 in the Usuard, the Belgic and Roman martyrologies, and on February 15 in Auchy. Most of his remains are in Saint- Bertin’s Church at Saint-Omer.
March 11th, 2008 by admin
Saint Juliana Of nicOmedia
Saint Juliana, patron of the sick, was the daughter of a pagan named Africanus.
He promised Juliana to a young noble named Evilase. The girl did not want him for a spouse ; thus, she insisted that he first becomes chief magistrate of Nicomedia before they would marry.
When he became prefect, she again insisted that he be converted to Christianity. Evilase did not agree. Juliana’s pagan father tortured her to change her mind but she remained firm to the Catholic faith.
Evilase brought the woman before the tribunal during the persecution of Maximianus. He denounced her a Christian. Thus, Juliana was burned and boiled in oil before finally beheading her in 305 A.D.
Her relics are found at Cumae, Naples in Italy.
March 11th, 2008 by admin
Saint OneSimuS
From the first century A.D. came Onesimus, slave to the Colossian Christians Philemon and Apphia.
Onesimus committed theft from Philemon and in order to escape punishment, fled to Rome where he sought the help of St. Paul. The apostle converted Onesimus and sent him back to his master with the canonical Epistle to Philemon. In the letter, Paul asked Philemon for Onesimus’ freedom so he could have him as one of his assistants. Because of the apostle’s request, Philemon granted Onesimus pardon and gave him his freedom.
Onesimus became a faithful servant of St. Paul. And with Tychicus, he became bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians. Onesimus continued his service, until he became a preacher of the Gospel then a successor of St. Timothy as bishop of Ephesus.
Because of Onesimus’ merit of celibacy, the governor of Rome had him tortured for 18 days. His legs and thighs were broken with bludgeons, then Onesimus was stoned to death.
March 11th, 2008 by admin
G O S P E L
This parable is clear in its denunciation of injustice and morality by condemning the neglect of living a truly moral life. It’s clear in Jesus’ mind that the Day of Judgment is a serious reality we must prepare. Just because we have accepted the Good News of salvation does not mean that we will automatically enter heaven. This will largely depend on whether or not we have heeded the Gospel and lived a life according to its principles.
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, 32 and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ 45 He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
my reflections
think: Just because we have accepted the Good News of salvation does not mean that we will automatically enter heaven. This will largely depend on whether or not we have heeded the Gospel and lived a life according to its principles.
March 11th, 2008 by admin
All people are called to live just and holy lives. One aspect of justice in our globalized world that needs a lot of attention is the question of a just wage. It is the moral responsibility of the employer to pay a just wage to all employees. The minimum wage guaranteed by law must be adhered to but, in many cases, even this may not satisfy the moral requirement of paying a fair wage to all employees.
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy. 11 “You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. 12 You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD. 13 “You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. 14 You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. 15 “You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. 16 You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the LORD. 17 “You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him. 18 Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.
March 11th, 2008 by admin
It is common to find large billboards along roads or in front of edifices declaring that such projects have been made through the initiative of this or that politician. Such practice is not limited to government projects though. When one enters a church he cannot miss well-polished brass tags on images of saints or on pews stating who donated them. Most of us admire those people who share their riches to the church, or, to others, for that matter. We sometimes think that those people have already ‘’bought’’ their way to the people’s heart or even to heaven. Our admiration thus leads to wishful longing. So we say, “If I become Mayor, I would also make…” or, “If I become rich, I will donate…” Today’s Gospel presents a different point of view as regards winning the heart not just of men but of God. Jesus has made the road to His heart available to everybody, even to the simplest people.
Jesus outlines them so clearly: Feed the hungry. Give water to the thirsty. Clothe the naked and welcome the stranger. Do those and you’ll merit a slot in the roster of the saints. Jesus made glory attainable for all. Heaven is not a place only for those who are able to do extraordinary things on earth, like contribute large sums of money to charitable institutions or churches. Not all of us can accomplish exceptional missionary undertakings like the disciples of old. But all of us can surely measure up to the norms that Jesus presents today. He has opened up the way to heaven by simply telling us to respond with acts of charity to anyone in need. And that is the only gauge. Our capacity to respond to human need will determine if we are worthy to be counted among the elect, those to whom Jesus will say, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34).” Fr. Sandy Enhaynes
Reflection Question:
Do we know the road to the heart of Jesus?
Lord Jesus, You teach us the simple acts of charity that can make us saints some day. May You use us as Your instruments to help those in need.
St. Paschal, pray for us.
