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Posted on 03/10/2004 9:37:27 PM PST by malakhi
| Statesmen may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue. - John Adams |
When the targets are cafes in Paris rather than pizza parlors in Jerusalem, their tune may change.
SD
15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
If I have to explain the promise of the land has both physical as well as spiritual implications well, lets just say that you have joined the Catholics in ripping out the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Oh, sure, big time:'( geez! Forget I mentioned it.
I'll go and confess my sin this weekend. ;o)
clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/freerepublic
Memorize it.
SD
SD
Here are yesterday's readings. Today's will follow.
God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)
| Thursday, March 25, 2004 The Annunciation of the Lord (Solemnity) |
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The following is, as usual, from The Word Among Us:
The Annunciation of the Lord
Imagine Mary's astonishment at Gabriel's announcement that she was to bear the Son of God! And when she asked how this would come about, the answer was just as startling. The angel gave no human or physiological explanation: The child would be conceived in a way that surpassed nature. Instead, Gabriel assured Mary that nothing is impossible for God. The Holy Spirit himself would overshadow and empower her to conceive the Word-made-flesh. Surely Mary could not have comprehended this mystery, yet she gave her wholehearted and unreserved assent: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
Mary's fiat was not a "one-time only" consent. It was repeated throughout her life as she learned to listen to the Spirit, to be docile to the Spirit's movements, and to let the Spirit teach her how to raise her son and follow him as perfectly as she did. As Pope John Paul II wrote of her: "Mary, who conceived the Incarnate Word by the power of the Holy Spirit and then in the whole of her life allowed herself to be guided by his interior activity, will be contemplated and imitated . . . above all as the woman who was docile to the voice of the Spirit, a woman of silence and attentiveness, a woman of hope" (Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 48).
Overshadowed by "the power of the Most High" at the Annunciation and again "clothed with power from on high" on Pentecost (Luke 1:35; 24:49; Acts 1:14), Mary is the model of a Spirit-filled disciple. Inspired by the Spirit, she was the first to believe in Jesus, the first to follow him in love and service.
Two thousand years after Mary said "yes" to God, she still shows us what God can realize in us: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). Through the Spirit, we are empowered to love and follow Jesus as his disciples today and to carry him in love to others. Like Mary, we can bring Christ into the world through our prayer, our love, and our docility to the Spirit.
"Come, Holy Spirit, and have your way in my life! Fill me with your grace and power. Help me to carry the presence of Jesus into the world as Mary did."
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God bless.
AC
In all of today's readings we are reminded of the opposition that our faith in Christ will provoke--and of God's faithfulness to us.
| Friday, March 26, 2004 Lenten Weekday |
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The following is, as usual, from The Word Among Us:
The Book of Wisdom was probably written by a faithful Jew in Alexandria, Egypt about one hundred years before the coming of Christ. Yet despite its early date, parts of this book, like today's reading, sound amazingly close to a description of Jesus. Although not worded as specific predictions, these passages are still very powerful pointers to the salvation that God had been planning from the beginning of time.
This passage, however, doesn't only point us to Jesus. It also describes aspects of the life of anyone who chooses to follow Jesus. We too can profess "to have knowledge of God," and we too can boldly call ourselves a "child of the Lord" (Wisdom 2:13). And at times, we too will experience some kind of persecution for our witness to Christ.
In all of today's readings, in fact, we are reminded of the opposition that our faith in Christ will provoke--and of God's faithfulness to us. In the responsorial psalm, we hear that "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all" (Psalm 34:19). In the gospel reading, we hear of a failed attempt to arrest Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles because "his hour had not yet come" (John 7:30).
God will rescue us! You may face opposition when you follow Christ. Jesus himself died--but God raised him up again! Rest assured that no matter what the suffering, God will always bless you far beyond what you have had to endure. And isn't it worth it anyway? Wouldn't you be willing to be ridiculed for your faith if you knew that your witness helped someone else come to know God's love and salvation?
So don't hesitate the next time you have a chance to share with someone about Jesus. Sure, you may be mocked or rejected, but the rewards--both for you and for the other person--far outweigh the losses. As you follow Christ, you'll find that he is working through you in unpredictable, even mystical ways. And not only does that mean that you don't need to be a brilliant theologian or charismatic speaker ... it also means that he will sustain and strengthen you in any trials you face.
"Lord, I pray today for all those who are being persecuted for their faith. Comfort them, Jesus, and give them your divine strength."
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God bless.
AC
Pope Says Sundays for God, Not Sports
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul on Friday said Sunday should be a day for God, not for secular diversions like entertainment and sports.
"When Sunday loses its fundamental meaning and becomes subordinate to a secular concept of 'weekend' dominated by such things as entertainment and sport, people stay locked within a horizon so narrow that they can no longer see the heavens," the pontiff said in a speech to Australian bishops.
John Paul criticized the "culture of the 'here and now,'" urging Church leaders to "lead men and women from the shadows of moral confusion and ambiguous thinking." The 83-year-old pope also encouraged Christians, especially young people, to remain faithful to Sunday Mass, saying the secular culture was undermining family life.
But I'm busy today, so I'll let y'all have fun with it! :o)
SD
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