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From: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
The Reign of Zedekiah (Continuation)
Deportation. Destruction of Jerusalem (Continuation)
Cyrus’ Edict
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
36:21. The mention of Jeremiah (cf. Jer 25:1-12; 29:10) indicates that his book
was already seen in the Chronicler’s time as being prophetical and holy; and it
also underlines the fact that the exile was an event foreseen by God who kept
the land in a long “sabbath, that is, a period of total rest, until the return of
those who constituted the true Israel. By refraining from any mention of the go-
vernorship of Gedaliah (cf. 2 Kings 25 :22-26) the writer avoids anything that
would imply divisions between these who were deported and those who stayed
on in Jerusalem.
36:22-23. The end of the book of Chronicles is identical with the start of that of
Ezra (Ezra 1:1-3) and the repetition was probably inserted when Chronicles was
finally separated from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. But it does serve to re-
inforce the lesson, contained in the previous verses, that the exile does not mean
the end, and that everything will continue as before the exile, because those who
belong to the Lord’s people will return, and the key conviction of faith will endure
—that the Lord is with them, with all of those who, when this book was being
assembled, were members of the people.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Ephesians 2:4-10
Salvation As a Free Gift
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1-10. St Paul moves on to consider those who make up the Church—Jews and
Gentiles. Despite the sinful situation in which both found themselves (vv. 2-3),
God in is great mercy (vv. 4-5) has acted on them and made them to be like
Christ, now victorious and seated in heaven (vv. 6-7); this he has done through
the unmerited gift of faith (vv. 8-10).
4. God’s mercy is the greatest expression of his love because it shows the total
gratuitousness of God’s love towards the sinner, whereby instead of punishing
him he forgives him and gives him life. The words “God, who is rich in mercy”
have great theological and spiritual depth: they are a kind of summary of all St
Paul’s teaching about God’s approach to people who are under the rule of sin,
who are “by nature children of wrath”.
Bl. John Paul II chose these words of Scripture “dives in misericordia” — as the
title of one of his encyclicals, an encyclical which explores the divine dimension
of the mystery of Redemption. Here is how the Pope sums up biblical teaching
on mercy: “The concept of ‘mercy’ in the Old Testament has a long and rich his-
tory [...]. It is significant that in their preaching the prophets link mercy, which
they often refer to because of the people’s sins, with the incisive image of love
on God’s part. The Lord loves Israel with the love of a special choosing, much
like the love of a spouse (cf. e.g. Hos 2:21-25 and 15; Is 54:6-8) and for this rea-
son he pardons its sins and even its infidelities and betrayals. When he finds re-
pentance and true conversion, he brings his people back to grace (cf. Her 31:20;
Ezek 39: 25-29). In the preaching of the prophets “mercy” signifies a “special
power of love”, which “prevails over the sin and infidelity” of the chosen people
[...]. The Old Testament encourages people suffering from misfortune, especial-
ly those weighed down by sin—as also the whole of Israel, which had entered in-
to the covenant with God—”to appeal for mercy”, and enables them to count up-
on it” (”Dives In Misericordia”, 4).
In the New Testament also there are many references to God’s mercy, some-
times very touching ones, like the parable of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15: 32);
others take a more dramatic form, for example, Christ’s sacrifice, the supreme
expression of the love of God, which is stronger than death and sin. “The ‘Cross
of Christ’, on which the Son, consubstantial with the Father, ‘renders full justice
to God’, is also ‘a radical revelation of mercy’, or rather of the love that goes
against what constitutes the very root of evil in the history of man: against sin
and death” (”ibid.”, 8).
5-6. The power of God works in the Christian in a way similar to that in which it
worked in Christ. St Paul here uses almost the same language as he did earlier
(cf. 1:20), to show how radical is the change produced in men by Christ’s salva-
tion.
Just as a dead person is unable to bring himself back to life, so those who are
dead through sin cannot obtain grace, supernatural life, by their own effort. Only
Christ, by means of the Redemption, offers us that new life which begins with
justification and ends with resurrection and eternal happiness in heaven. The
Apostle is speaking here of that life of grace, and therefore of our future resur-
rection and glorification with Christ in heaven; he refers to this as if it were an
accomplished fact, and the reason he does so is this: Jesus Christ is our head
and we form one body with him (cf. Gal 3:28), and therefore we share in the
head’s condition. Christ, after his resurrection, sits at the right hand of the Father.
“The body of Christ, which the Church is”, St Augustine comments, “must be at
the right hand, that is, in the glory of heaven, as the Apostle says: ‘we have been
raised up with him and made to sit with him in heaven.’ Even though our body is
not yet there, our hope is already placed there” (”De Agone Christiano”, 26).
From the moment of our incorporation into Christ by Baptism, his resurrection
and exaltation is something which is already present in us in an incomplete way:
“Thus by Baptism”, Vatican II teaches, “men are grafted into the paschal mys-
tery of Christ; they die with him, are buried with him, and rise with him (cf. Rom
6:4; Eph 2:6; Col 3:1; 2 Tim 2:11f). They receive the spirit of adoption as sons in
which ‘we cry, Abba, Father’ (Rom 8:15) and thus become true adorers such as
the Father seeks (cf. Jn 4:23)” (”Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6). See the note on
Rom 6:9-10.
The Redemption has already been accomplished, and man has available to him
all the grace he needs for salvation: the gates of heaven are open wide; it is now
the responsibility of every individual to make room for grace in his soul, to avail
of grace to respond to our Lord’s call. Through Christ, “we have been reborn spi-
ritually, for through him we are crucified to the world,” St Zozimus comments.
“By his death that decree of death has been destroyed which Adam caused and
which was passed on to every soul—that sentence which we incur through our
descent, from which absolutely no one is free prior to being set free by Baptism”
(”Epist. ‘Tractoria’, Dz-Sch”, 231).
8-9. Salvation is the work of God, a gratuitous gift of God: it originates in God’s
mercy. It acts in man by means of faith, that is, by man’s acceptance of the sal-
vation offered him in Jesus Christ. But even faith, St Paul tells us, is a divine gift;
man cannot merit it by his own efforts alone; it is not exclusively the outcome of
human freedom; at all stages, from the very beginning, recognition and accep-
tance of Christ as Savior means that God’s grace is at work.
On the basis of this passage in Ephesians and other passages of Scripture, the
Church has taught: “According to the passages of Sacred Scripture and the ex-
planations of the Holy Fathers [specified] we, with God’s help must believe and
preach the following: The free will of man was made so weak and unsteady
through the sin of the first man that, after the Fall, no one could love God as was
required, or believe in God, or perform good works for God unless the grace of
divine mercy anticipated him [...]. Even after the coming of Christ this grace of
faith is not found in the free will of all who desire to be baptized but is conferred
through the generosity of Christ, according to what has already been said and
according to what the Apostle Paul teaches: ‘It has been granted to you that for
the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake’
(Phil 1:29). And also: ‘he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion
at the day of Jesus Christ’ (Phil 1:6). And again: ‘By grace you have been saved
through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God’ (Eph 2:8). And
the Apostle says of himself: ‘As one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy’ (1
Cor 7:25; cf. 1 Tim 1:13) [...]. And Scripture says further: ‘What have you that
you did not receive?’ (1 Cor 4:7). And again: ‘Every good endowment and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights’ (Jas 1:17). And
again: ‘No one can receive anything except what is given from heaven’ (Jn 3:27)”
(Second Council of Orange, “De Gratia”, conclusion).
The Second Vatican Council provides the same teaching: “’By faith man freely
commits his entire self to God [...]; before this faith can be exercised, man must
have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior help of
the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes
of the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth’ (”De Gratia”,
can . 7; “Dei Filius”)’’ (”Dei Verbum”, 5).
When St Paul says that faith does not come from works (v. 9), he is referring to
things man can do on his own, without the help of grace. If faith did come from
works, then man would have something to boast to God about, something which
would bring salvation without dependence on Christ—which would be inadmissible,
because then our Lord’s death would make no sense, nor would even the Incar-
nation of the Word, whom “God has made our wisdom, our righteousness and
sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts,
boast of the Lord”’ (1 Cor 1:30-31). See also the notes on Jas 2:14; Rom 3:20-31;
9:31.
10. The Christian became a new creation — “we are his workmanship” — when he
was inserted into Christ at Baptism (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). Once justified by Baptism,
he should live in a manner consistent with his faith, that is, with his new life. The
life of grace in fact moves him to do those good works which God wishes to see
performed (he had already laid down that this should be so) and which perfect the
work of salvation. Deeds, works, prove the genuineness of faith: “faith by itself, if
it has no works, is dead” (Jas 2:17). Without these works — the practice of the
theological and moral virtues—not only would faith be dead; our love for God and
neighbor would be false.
Having said that, it is also true that to bring about this renewal in man God
counts on man’s readiness to respond to grace and on his carrying out “good
works”.
Christian Tradition has always taught that the fruits of faith are a proof of its vita-
lity. For example, this is what St Polycarp has to say: “It does my heart good to
see how the solid roots of your faith, which have such a reputation ever since ear-
ly times, are still flourishing and bearing fruit in Jesus Christ [...]. Many desire to
share in your joy, well knowing that it is by the will of God that you are saved
through Jesus Christ” (”Letter to the Philippians”, chap. 1).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: John 3:14-21
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
[16] “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God sent the Son into the
world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
[18] He who believes in Him is not condemned; He who does not believe is con-
demned already, because He had not believed in the name of the only Son of
God. [19] And this is the judgment, that the light has come into world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every
one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds
should be exposed. [21] But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it
may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
14-15. The bronze serpent which Moses set up on a pole was established by
God to cure those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the desert
(cf. Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus compares this with His crucifixion, to show the va-
lue of His being raised up on the cross: those who look on Him with faith can ob-
tain salvation. We could say that the good thief was the first to experience the
saving power of Christ on the cross: he saw the crucified Jesus, the King of Is-
rael, the Messiah, and was immediately promised that he would be in Paradise
that very day (cf. Luke 23:39-43).
The Son of God took on our human nature to make known the hidden mystery of
God’s own life (cf. Mark 4:11; John 1:18; 3:1-13; Ephesians 3:9) and to free from
sin and death those who look at Him with faith and love and who accept the cross
of every day.
The faith of which our Lord speaks is not just intellectual acceptance of the truths
He has taught: it involves recognizing Him as Son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1), sharing
His very life (cf. John 1:12) and surrendering ourselves out of love and therefore
becoming like Him (cf. John 10:27; 1 John 3:2). But this faith is a gift of God (cf.
John 3:3, 5-8), and we should ask Him to strengthen it and increase it as the A-
postles did: Lord “increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). While faith is a supernatural,
free gift, it is also a virtue, a good habit, which a person can practise and thereby
develop: so the Christian, who already has the divine gift of faith, needs with the
help of grace to make explicit acts of faith in order to make this virtue grow.
16-21. These words, so charged with meaning, summarize how Christ’s death is
the supreme sign of God’s love for men (cf. the section on charity in the “Intro-
duction to the Gospel according to John”: pp. 31ff above). “`For God so loved the
world that He gave His only Son’ for its salvation. All our religion is a revelation of
God’s kindness, mercy and love for us. `God is love’ (1 John 4:16), that is, love
poured forth unsparingly. All is summed up in this supreme truth, which explains
and illuminates everything. The story of Jesus must be seen in this light. `(He)
loved me’, St. Paul writes. Each of us can and must repeat it for himself — `He
loved me, and gave Himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20)” (Paul VI, “Homily on Cor-
pus Christi”, 13 June 1976).
Christ’s self-surrender is a pressing call to respond to His great love for us: “If it
is true that God has created us, that He has redeemed us, that He loves us so
much that He has given up His only-begotten Son for us (John 3:16), that He
waits for us — every day! — as eagerly as the father of the prodigal son did (cf.
Luke 15:11-32), how can we doubt that He wants us to respond to Him with all
our love? The strange thing would be not to talk to God, to draw away and forget
Him, and busy ourselves in activities which are closed to the constant promp-
tings of His grace” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 251).
“Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for
himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encoun-
ter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not partici-
pate intimately in it. This [...] is why Christ the Redeemer `fully reveals man to
himself’. If we may use the _expression, this is the human dimension of the mys-
tery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity
and value that belong to his humanity. [...] The one who wishes to understand
himself thoroughly [...] must, with his unrest and uncertainty and even his weak-
ness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to
speak, enter into Him with all his own self, he must `appropriate’ and assimilate
the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself.
If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of
adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself.
How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he `gained so great a
Redeemer’, (”Roman Missal, Exultet” at Easter Vigil), and if God `gave His only
Son’ in order that man `should not perish but have eternal life’. [...]
`Increasingly contemplating the whole of Christ’s mystery, the Church knows
with all the certainty of faith that the Redemption that took place through the
Cross has definitively restored his dignity to man and given back meaning to his
life in the world, a meaning that was lost to a considerable extent because of sin.
And for that reason, the Redemption was accomplished in the paschal mystery,
leading through the Cross and death to Resurrection” (Bl. John Paul II, “Redemp-
tor Hominis”, 10).
Jesus demands that we have faith in Him as a first prerequisite to sharing in His
love. Faith brings us out of darkness into the light, and sets us on the road to sal-
vation. “He who does not believe is condemned already” (verse 18).
“The words of Christ are at once words of judgment and grace, of life and death.
For it is only by putting to death that which is old that we can come to newness
of life. Now, although this refers primarily to people, it is also true of various world-
ly goods which bear the mark both of man’s sin and the blessing of God. [...] No
one is freed from sin by himself or by his own efforts, no one is raised above him-
self or completely delivered from his own weakness, solitude or slavery; all have
need of Christ, who is the model, master, liberator, savior, and giver of life. Even
in the secular history of mankind the Gospel has acted as a leaven in the inte-
rests of liberty and progress, and it always offers itself as a leaven with regard to
brotherhood, unity and peace” (Vatican II, “Ad Gentes”, 8).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | 2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 136:1-6 © |
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Second reading | Ephesians 2:4-10 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Jn3:16 |
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Gospel | John 3:14-21 © |
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Ash (or Clean) Monday - Lent Begins (for some Catholics) - February 20, 2012
[Why I Am Catholic]: Lent And Holy Week (A Primer) [Catholic Caucus]
Lent, A Time to Give from the Heart [Catholic caucus}
Learning the beatitudes during Lent -- use your Rosary to learn the Beatitutdes [Catholic Caucus]
Lenten Ember Days: March 16th, 18th, and 19th, 2011 (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Vincent Ferrer - Sermon for the First Sunday of Lent [Ecumenical]
Pope describes Lenten road that leads to renewal
St. Andrew of Crete, Great Canon of Repentance - Tuesday's portion (Orthodox/Latin Caucus)
The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (Monday's portion) [Orth/Cath Caucus]
Penance and Reparation: A Lenten Meditation(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
For Lent - Top 10 Bible Verses on Penance
Cana Sunday: Entrance into Great Lent
2011 Catechetical Homily on the opening of Holy and Great Lent
8 Ways to Pray During Lent [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Baptists, Lent, and the Reformation Rummage Sale
So What Shall We Do during These Forty Days of Lent? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Lenten Traditions (Catholic Caucus)
Are You Scrupulous? A Lenten Homily by John Cardinal OConnor
Blow the Trumpet! Call the Assembly! The Blessings of Fasting
Lenten Challenges
Lent and the Catholic Business Professional (Interview)
Temptations Correspond to Our Vulnerabilities: Biblical Reflection for 1st Sunday of Lent
A Lenten Weight Loss Program
On the Lenten Season
Lent 2010: Pierce Thou My Heart, Love Crucified [Catholic Caucus]
US seminarians begin Lenten pilgrimage to Rome's ancient churches
Conversion "is going against the current" of an "illusory way of life"[Pope Benedict XVI for Lent]
vanity] Hope you all make a good Lent [Catholic Caucus]
Lent -- Easter 2010, Reflections, Prayer, Actions Day by Day
Stational Churches (Virtually visit one each day and pray)
40 Ways to Get the Most Out of Lent!
What to Give Up (for Lent)? The List
On the Spiritual Advantages of Fasting [Pope Clement XIII]
Christ's temptation and ours (Reflection for the First Sunday of Lent)
Pope Benedict XVI Message for Lent 2010 (Feb 15 = Ash Monday & Feb 17 = Ash Wednesday)
Whatever happened to (Lenten) obligations? [Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving]Archbishop John Vlazny
Vatican Presents Lenten Website: LENT 2009
A Scriptural Way of the Cross with Meditations by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (Lenten Prayer/Devotional)
Prayer, Fasting and Mercy by St. Peter Chrysologus, Early Church Father [Catholic Caucus]
History of Lent (Did the Church always have this time before Easter?)
Beginning of Lent
Lent (Catholic Encyclopedia - Caucus Thread)
At Lent, let us pray for the Pope (Muslim converts ask us to pray for the pope)
Daily Lenten Reflections 2009
LENTEN STATIONS [Stational Churches for Lent] (Catholic Caucus)
40 Days for Life campaign is now under way (February 25 - April 5]
This Lent, live as if Jesus Christ is indeed Lord of your life
Reconciliation, forgiveness, hope and Lent
Intro to Fast and Abstinence 101
Lent: Why the Christian Must Deny Himself (with Scriptural references)
40 Ways to Improve Your Lent
Everything Lent (Lots of links)
The Best Kind of Fasting
Getting Serious About Lent
Lent Overview
Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ [Devotional]
On Lent... and Lourdes (Benedict XVI's Angelus address)
Lent for Newbies
Lent -- 2008 -- Come and Pray Each Day
Lent: Why the Christian Must Deny Himself
Lenten Workshop [lots of ideas for all]
Lent and Reality
Forty Days (of Lent) [Devotional/Reflections]
Pope Benedict takes his own advice, plans to go on retreat for Lent
GUIDE FOR LENT - What the Catholic Church Says
Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2008
40 Days for Life: 2008 Campaigns [Lent Registration this week]
Vatican Web Site Focuses on Lent
Almsgiving [Lent]
Conversion Through Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving [Lent]
Lenten Stations -- Stational Churches - visit each with us during Lent {Catholic Caucus}
Something New for Lent: Part I -- Holy Souls Saturdays
Reflections for Lent (February, March and April, 2007)
Lent 2007: The Love Letter Written by Pope Benedict
Pre-Lent through Easter Prayer and Reflections -- 2007
Stations of the Cross [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
For study and reflection during Lent - Mind, Heart, Soul [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Fast-Family observance Lenten season [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Pre-Lenten Days -- Family activities-Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras)[Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
40 Ways to Get the Most Out of Lent! [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Lenten Fasting or Feasting? [Catholic Caucus]
Pope's Message for Lent-2007
THE TRUE NATURE OF FASTING (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
The Triduum and 40 Days
The Three Practices of Lent: Praying, Fasting. Almsgiving
Why We Need Lent
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2006
Lent a Time for Renewal, Says Benedict XVI
Why You Should Celebrate Lent
Getting the Most Out of Lent
Lent: A Time to Fast >From Media and Criticism Says President of Pontifical Liturgical Institute
Give it up (making a Lenten sacrifice)
The History of Lent
The Holy Season of Lent -- Fast and Abstinence
The Holy Season of Lent -- The Stations of the Cross
Lent and Fasting
Mardi Gras' Catholic Roots [Shrove Tuesday]
Kids and Holiness: Making Lent Meaningful to Children
Ash Wednesday
All About Lent
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
or
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
Psalm 109:8
"Let his days be few; and let another take his place of leadership."
PLEASE JOIN US -
|
FOR OUR WORK
Glorious Saint Joseph, pattern of all who are devoted to toil, obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance, in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to toil conscientiously, putting devotion to duty before my own inclinations; to labor with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop, by my labor, the gifts I have received from Almighty God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill-spent, of talents unemployed, of good undone, and of my empty pride in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of thee, 0 Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death. Amen.
OFFERING TO SAINT JOSEPH
O great Saint Joseph, thou generous depositary and dispenser of immortal riches, behold us prostrate at thy feet, imploring thee to receive us as thy servants and as thy children. Next to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, of which thou art the faithful copy, we acknowledge that there is no heart more tender, more compassionate than thine.
What, then, have we to fear, or, rather, for what should we not hope, if thou dost deign to be our benefactor, our master, our model, our father and our mediator? Refuse not, then, this favor, O powerful protector! We ask it of thee by the love thou hast for Jesus and Mary. Into thy hands we commit our souls and bodies, but above all the last moments of our lives.
May we, after having honored, imitated, and served thee on earth, eternally sing with thee the mercies of Jesus and Mary. Amen.
FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH
O Joseph, virgin-father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray every day for us to the same Jesus, the Son of God, that we, being defended by the power of His grace and striving dutifully in life, may be crowned by Him at the hour of death.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
St. Joseph
St. Joseph was an ordinary manual laborer although descended from the royal house of David. In the designs of Providence he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God. His high privilege is expressed in a single phrase, "Foster-father of Jesus." About him Sacred Scripture has little more to say than that he was a just man-an expression which indicates how faithfully he fulfilled his high trust of protecting and guarding God's greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary.
The darkest hours of his life may well have been those when he first learned of Mary's pregnancy; but precisely in this time of trial Joseph showed himself great. His suffering, which likewise formed a part of the work of the redemption, was not without great providential import: Joseph was to be, for all times, the trustworthy witness of the Messiah's virgin birth. After this, he modestly retires into the background of holy Scripture.
Of St. Joseph's death the Bible tells us nothing. There are indications, however, that he died before the beginning of Christ's public life. His was the most beautiful death that one could have, in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Humbly and unknown, he passed his years at Nazareth, silent and almost forgotten he remained in the background through centuries of Church history. Only in more recent times has he been accorded greater honor. Liturgical veneration of St. Joseph began in the fifteenth century, fostered by Sts. Brigid of Sweden and Bernadine of Siena. St. Teresa, too, did much to further his cult.
At present there are two major feasts in his honor. On March 19 our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption, while on May 1 we honor him as the patron of workmen throughout the world and as our guide in the difficult matter of establishing equitable norms regarding obligations and rights in the social order.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
St. Joseph is invoked as patron for many causes. He is the patron of the Universal Church. He is the patron of the dying because Jesus and Mary were at his death-bed. He is also the patron of fathers, of carpenters, and of social justice. Many religious orders and communities are placed under his patronage.
Patron: Against doubt; against hesitation; Americas; Austria; Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; California; Belgium; Bohemia; bursars; cabinetmakers; Canada; Carinthia; carpenters; China; Church; confectioners; craftsmen; Croatian people (in 1687 by decree of the Croatian parliament) dying people; emigrants; engineers; expectant mothers; families; fathers; Florence, Italy; happy death; holy death; house hunters; immigrants; interior souls; Korea; laborers; Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky; Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire; Mexico; Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee; New France; New World; Oblates of Saint Joseph; people in doubt; people who fight Communism; Peru; pioneers; pregnant women; protection of the Church; Diocese of San Jose, California; diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; social justice; Styria, Austria; travelers; Turin Italy; Tyrol Austria; unborn children Universal Church; Vatican II; Viet Nam; Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston West Virginia; wheelwrights; workers; working people.
Symbols: Bible; branch; capenter's square; carpenter's tools; chalice; cross; hand tools; infant Jesus; ladder; lamb; lily; monstrance; old man holding a lily and a carpenter's tool such as a square; old man holding the infant Jesus; plane; rod.
Things to Do:
Pope Pius X composed this prayer to St. Joseph, patron of working people, that expresses concisely the Christian attitude toward labor. It summarizes also for us the lessons of the Holy Family's work at Nazareth.
Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who devote their lives to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to work conscientiously, setting devotion to duty in preference to my own whims; to work with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop by my labor the gifts I have received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill spent, of talents wasted, of good omitted, and of vain complacency in success, which is so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death, Amen.
Another prayer to St. Joseph:
To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we fly in our tribulation, and, having implored the help of thy most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy holy patronage also. Through that charity which bound thee to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and through the paternal love with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we humbly beseech the graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by His Blood, and with thy power and strength aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving Father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be propitious to us, and from Heaven assist us in this our struggle against the power of darkness; and as once thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from death, so now protect Gods Holy Church from the snares of Her enemies and from all adversity.
Shield too, each one of us by thy constant protection, so that, supported by thine example and strengthened by thine aid, we may be able to live a holy life, to die a holy death, and to obtain eternal happiness in Heaven. Amen.
St. Joseph, Foster Father, Novena [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Patron of a Happy Death A Special Role for St. Joseph [Catholic/Orhtodox Caucus]
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows and 7 Joys of St. Joseph
Catholic Group Blasts Pelosi For Invoking St. Joseph on Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill
THE SEVEN SORROWS AND SEVEN JOYS OF ST. JOSEPH
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
Season of Announcement - Revelation to Joseph
In hard times, don't forget about the humble carpenter Joseph
Saint Joseph: Complete submission to the will of God (Pope Benedict XVI) (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Joseph, Patron of a Peaceful Death [Catholic Caucus]
Octave: St. Joseph, A 'Mans Man', Calling Men to Jesus
St. Teresa de Avila's Devotion to St. Joseph (Catholic Caucus)
Catholic Men's National Day of Prayer, MARCH 15, 2008, The Solemnity of St. Joseph (Catholic Caucus)
The Role and Responsibility of Fatherhood - St. Joseph as Model
St. Joseph - Foster Father of Jesus
Some divine intervention in real estate-[Bury St. Joseph Statues in Ground]
Many Turn To Higher Power For Home Sales
St. Joseph the Worker, Memorial, May 1
Catholic Devotions: St. Joseph the Worker
Nothing Will Be Denied Him (St. Joseph)
The Heart of a Father [St. Joseph]
St. Joseph's DAY
Quemadmodum Deus - Decree Under Blessed Pius IX, Making St. Joseph Patron of the Church
Father & Child (An Evangelical Minister preaches on St. Joseph)
March 19 - Feast of St. Joseph - Husband of Mary - Intercessor of civil leaders
St. Joseph's Spirit of Silence
St. Joseph's Humility (By St. Francis de Sales)
St. Joseph [Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary], Solemnity, March 19
St Josephs Paternal Love
The Heart of St. Joseph
MORE THAN PATRON OF HOMES, IT'S TIME FOR ST. JOSEPH TO GAIN HIGHEST OF RECOGNITION [Fatherhood]
The Importance of Devotion to St. Joseph
St. Francis de Sales on St. Joseph (Some Excerpts for St. Joseph's Day 2004)
St. Joseph: REDEMPTORIS CUSTOS (Guardian Of The Redeemer)
(Saint) Joseph the Patriarch: A Reflection on the Solemnity of St. Joseph
How I Rediscovered a "Neglected" Saint: Work of Art Inspires Young Man to Rediscover St. Joseph
March 2012
Pope's intentions
General Intention: Contribution of Women. That the whole world may recognize the contribution of women to the development of society.
Missionary Intention: Persecuted Christians. That the Holy Spirit may grant perseverance to those who suffer discrimination, persecution, or death for the name of Christ, particularly in Asia.
The art of politics differs considerably from the art of religion.
The politician desires the power of office to serve the common good (one hopes) by representing the people. At worst, he desires to accumulate power and the perquisites of office. The politician is beholden to the people (or, in some countries, to the men with the guns) to gain and retain office. His political package must have popular appeal (or popular fear) or he loses office.
The man of religion, a priest or bishop or deacon, on the other hand, desires to be a mediator of God in the service of His people. A priest is beholden to God and retains office by participating in Gods fatherhood as known through the teaching of Christ and His Church. Sometimes the priestly package of Church teaching has a wide popular appeal (such as ministering to the sick, the poor and the dispossessed). Other times, the appeal is quite narrow, the teaching unpopular. In recent generations, a good deal of Church teaching has become widely unpopular and increasingly considered extreme.
It is usually not complimentary to refer to someone as an extremist. Extremist views are not mainstream views. The views of extremists are often described as over the top or pushing the envelope. Extremists may insist, for example, the earth is flat, or argue flying saucer conspiracy theories or hold that contraception is evil. People are uncomfortable around extremists. Extremists often disrupt conversation with awkward comments and opinions at social events such as weddings and dinner parties. They may be prone to anger and suicide bombing.
Is it really possible to be an extremist Catholic?
Like anyone else, Catholics can be extreme or fanatical by being pharisaical or uncharitable in otherwise correct moral judgments or in ugly condescension. Like the Pharisees who criticized the Lord for healing on the Sabbath, it is possible to be obsessed with one truth of the Faith to the exclusion of others. But such extreme behavior is not Catholic; it is a true violation of the integrity of authentic Catholic virtue.
Catholic teaching always demands more, and, in a certain sense, there is an important place for extremism. For example, it is better for a spouse to be extremely faithful rather than moderately faithful. It is better to be extremely generous rather than moderately generous. Christ desires much of us, even to the point of extremes: greater fidelity; more self-sacrifice; abundant generosity; and, as Blessed Teresa of Kolkata says, loving in the extreme until it hurts. Christ Himself, in this sense, was an extremist: Greater love than this no man has than to give up his life for his friends (Jn 15:13).
Contrast this religious extremism to the extreme caution of politicians. In a dire warning to politicians supporting the Church, a recent newspaper headline asserted, GOP on losing side of birth control. This result of the newspaper poll of voters refers of course to President Obamas attempt to force Catholic institutions (under severe financial penalties for noncompliance) to pay for contraceptives in their employee health care plans. According to the poll, a strikingly large percentage of people agree with Obamas stance that his contraception mandate is about womens health care. The pollster advises, Drop this baby right now. Drop it. This is not a winner. (The pollster apparently did not catch the irony in his wording.) Not only does moderate politics not mix well with religion, it does not mix well with good morality. The message of this pollster is taken from the Pontius Pilate political playbook: Politicians must be careful always to please the crowds, and it is easier to smear practicing Catholics as extreme than to engage them in rational debate.
In this weeks Gospel, we are reminded that our religion is not about politics of the world; it is about Christ: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned . Hence, we need not please the crowds; we only need to please Christ. Perhaps this is extreme in the eyes of the world.
But after all, we ought to be fanatics about one thing: our salvation in Christ Who loves us.
Fr. Pokorsky is pastor of St. Michael Parish in Annandale.
Year B- Fourth Sunday of Lent
God loved the world so muchJohn 3:14-2114 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary |
The readings in todays Mass speak to us of our desperate condition, and how Gods abiding love has not only set us free, but also lifted us higher. God was not content to restore us to some earthy garden, paradise though it was. No, he has so loved the world that he sent his Son who has opened heaven itself for us and given us a new, transformed and eternal life. Lets look at these readings from three perspectives and see how God lifts us higher by his powerful love.
I. THE PASSION FOR OUR PURIFICATION - Note that many of the texts in todays reading speak of the passion God has to set things right in our life, and in this world. Note some aspects from the readings of Gods ardent love and persistent work to lift us higher:
Problems In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the LORDs temple.
And thus we see our repeated infidelity, our worldliness, and our impurity. It is not as though we have had just a few bad moments, we have been persistent and consistent in our sinfulness. The cup of human human wickedness never seems drained. This is what God is dealing with, and what we experience in the long, and often sad tale of human history.
Are there good chapters? Sure.
But any honest look at human history will also reveals to us that there is something deeply wrong and flawed with human nature. We are living in a fallen world, governed by a fallen angel and we have fallen natures. Thrice fallen! This is our condition and this is what God is dealing with.
But God does not remove his love and remains a ardent lover of us.
Prophets Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them, for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed that there was no remedy.
Gods first recourse is to call us through the prophets and through his word. Like any loving Father, he does not seek merely to punish, but to instruct so as to avoid punishing. Perhaps we will hear and amend our ways.
Have we? Is the presence of Gods word among us a saving remedy? Again the answer is mixed, but poor.
To some extent Jesus call to love has led to greater healing in this world. The light of faith which once informed the Western world gave birth to hospitals, greater love for the poor, greater respect for the dignity of the human person, the University system, and the scientific method. The warlike barbarians of ancient Europe were given faith and many found unity in the bosom of the Church and in more stable governments, and respect for just law.
But it also remains true that too much of human history, even in the Christian era is marked by violence, war, unforgiveness, injustice, unchastity, and a lack of commitment to the truth of the Gospel.
Yet, God continues to send his prophets in and through the Church. Can the World really say that John Paul the Great and Benedict XVI have not been prophets? Mother Teresa, Padre Pio, Fulton Sheen, CS Lewis, and countless others.
In all our ruinous state, God does not remove his love and remains a ardent lover of us.
Punishments Their enemies burnt the house of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces afire, and destroyed all its precious objects. Those who escaped the sword were carried captive to Babylon, where they became servants of the king of the Chaldeans and his sons until the kingdom of the Persians came to power.
Punishment is not an act of venting anger for God; he is not seeking vengeance.
The purpose of punishment is to allow us to experience in smaller ways the effects of our sin, lest something worse befall us. And thus the ancient Babylonians afflicted Israel and God punished, purified his people.
So too for us, God may well permit great suffering to come upon us, not to vent his anger, but to summon us to repentance, lest something worse befall us, namely eternal hell fire.
But, truth be told, we are a hard case. Any look at the decline of the West and youd think wed have come to our senses by now. Our families are ruined, our birthrates are devastated, our educational system is in steep decline, our economies are way off the hook, we have a debts we cannot pay, we seem incapable of chastity or of making commitments and keeping them. Yet still we stubbornly persist in our path away from God and the gospel of truth and freedom.
Will we recover our senses, or will we vanish like empires before us? It remains to be seen. But the Church will persist, and though punished, and pruned, she will endure.
For In all our ruinous state, God does not remove his love and remains a ardent lover of us.
Purpose All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: Until the land has retrieved its lost Sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled.
Sin causes damage and that damage must be repaired. We must come to understand that sin is not just the breaking of abstract rules, it causes real harm.
The Christian term reparation refers to the repair that must be made for the damage sin causes. The verse used here in todays readings talk about healing the breach that sin has caused.
Thus, while God never withholds his love, it remains true that he must journey well out in the wayward paths we have trod and lead us back. This a work of Gods, not just a wave of the hand, not just a legal declaration.
We have done more than disobey a legal precept, we have strayed far off and a repairing journey must be made. The Lord himself will shepherd us back!
For In all our ruinous state, God does not remove his love and remains a ardent lover of us.
Persevering - For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
And thus is fulfilled the great and passionate love God has for us. For In all our ruinous state, God does not remove his love and remains a ardent lover of us.
His own Son comes to find us in our wayward places and leads us back.
For In all our ruinous state, God does not remove his love and remains a ardent lover of us.
Promotion God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ for by grace you have been saved raised us up with him.
And thus is our redeemed state even greater than our original justice. We have been raised up with Christ. Grace has brought us higher than we ever were before.
Now, no mere earthly garden is granted, but heaven itself.
For In all our ruinous state, God does not remove his love and remains a ardent lover of us.
II. THE PART WE PLAY This great act of God is offered to us. But God does not force it upon us, he invites, he offers. The part we play is to accept what God offers. And we do this by faith. And while there is a mysterious interplay between our freedom and Gods grace, it remains true that faith is our part. The door to our heart is opened from the inside, from within our heart. Faith, while a grace, also engages our freedom.
And thus we hear the Lord say today: Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
Here too the stakes are high. Belief leads to salvation, refusal to believe to condemnation, a condemnation by ones own choice.
Why is this?
Because again, faith is more than a juridical act, or a theoretical adherence to intellectual constructs. Belief is also more than lip service. To have faith is to come to a trusting surrender to the work of God. It is a transformative relationship with the Lord that effects real and saving changes in us. Without these changes and surrender to the power of Gods love to transform us we simply cannot endure the presence of a holy God. But the relationship that saves and transforms, must be freely accepted by us.
The Lord soberly assess that those who refuse his gift do so because they prefer darkness to light, the world and its values to the Kingdom of Heaven and its values. In this way they condemn themselves, it is not God who condemns, it is they themselves who have chosen something or someone other than God.
The part we play is critical. Choose the Lord!
III. THE PATH TO THE PLACE Note that this new life, this higher place to which we are raised with Christ is described as a walk in new works:
[God] brought us to life with Christ raised us up with him, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should walk in them.
Thus note that the Love of God lifts us higher, higher than weve ever been lifted before. The text say that we have been raised up with Christ and that we walk in a whole new way. Here walk refers to the whole direction and destination of our life. Our whole manner of navigating this world changes. Our decisions, and how we regard the signals of this world, are wholly different. Now that we are no longer heading southward in sin, we ignore southbound routes, and all the signs pointing to them. Now we set our sights on the route northward and upward to glory. And all the signs and routes that go there are on our itinerary.
Note too that our works are also changed. For now they become not our will and our works, but the works and the will of God who acts in and through us. The new life we receive is not our gift to God, it is His gift to us. Thus we see sin put to death, and a whole new behavior come alive. This is not our work, that we should boast, it is the work of God and his grace that causes it.
And thus we see that God so loved the world that he did not only forgive us our sins, he has lifted us even higher, bestowing on us a wholly new and transformed life. Now we are not summoned merely to a natural goodness, but a supernatural goodness; not merely to human perfection, but to Godly perfection; ours is not merely an earthly garden, but a heavenly kingdom.
Yes, Lord, Your love is lifting me higher, than Ive ever been lifted before! God so loved the world that he gave us his only beloved Son. And his Son as lifted us higher, brought us not merely back to life, but to eternal life, to the fullness of life. This is the life that Jesus died to give us.
Lay hold of this love that lifts us higher that weve ever been lifted before.
OK, I know the song isnt religious. But transpose it to the higher key, like the Song of Songs does the Bible. Consider these lyrics as referring to the Lord and how his love quenches all our desires and lifts us higher:
Your love, is liftin me higher
Than Ive ever been lifted before
So keep it up, quench my desire
And Ill be at your side forevermore.
Now once I was downhearted
Disappointment was my closest friend
But then you came and he soon departed
And you know he never showed his face again
Thats why your love
is liftin me, higher, and higher
.
Im so glad I finally found you
Yes, that one in a million
And with your loving arms around me
I can stand up and face the world
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