Posted on 04/11/2014 9:20:33 PM PDT by Salvation
April 12, 2014
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Reading 1 Ez 37:21-28
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will take the children of Israel from among the nations
to which they have come,
and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land.
I will make them one nation upon the land,
in the mountains of Israel,
and there shall be one prince for them all.
Never again shall they be two nations,
and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.
No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols,
their abominations, and all their transgressions.
I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy,
and cleanse them so that they may be my people
and I may be their God.
My servant David shall be prince over them,
and there shall be one shepherd for them all;
they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees.
They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob,
the land where their fathers lived;
they shall live on it forever,
they, and their children, and their children’s children,
with my servant David their prince forever.
I will make with them a covenant of peace;
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,
and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.
My dwelling shall be with them;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD,
who make Israel holy,
when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.
Responsorial Psalm Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
Gospel Jn 11:45-56
Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
“What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation.”
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
“You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish.”
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.
So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?”
Feast Day: April 12
Born: 300, Mauretania
Died: April 12, 371, Verona
Major Shrine: Basilica di San Zeno, Verona
Patron of: Fishermen, anglers, newborn babies, Verona
St. Joseph Moscati
Feast Day: April 12
Born: 1880 :: Died: 1927
Joseph was born at Benevento in Italy to wealthy parents. He was the seventh of nine children. Then one of his brother's died and Joseph was filled with deep sadness. He asked Jesus in the Eucharist and Mother Mary to help him understand the reason for this suffering.
He was finally convinced that all suffering had to have a purpose. He also realized the importance of expert medical care. Most important though, he understood that our life is a journey toward eternity.
It is our duty to help people and serve them as we journey. Joseph prayed and thought about what he should do with his life. He decided to become a doctor as he wanted to help cure physical pain.
When he was twenty three, Dr. Moscati who had become a learned and famous physician began his service at the Hospital of the Incurables in Naples. Later he opened his own office. All patients were welcome whether they could pay or not. He would write prescriptions for poor patients, then pay for the medicine himself.
Every day was long and hard, but Dr. Moscati remained gentle and kind. He made the effort to listen carefully to his patients. He encouraged them and prayed for them.
Besides being an excellent doctor, he was holy too. How did he do it? Each morning he went to Mass and spent time in prayer. Then the doctor would visit the sick poor in the slums of Naples. From there he would go to the hospital and begin his rounds.
He healed, taught and supported the poor and outcast, and could sometimes tell what a patient's illness was without having seen the patient and prescribe medicines for it. He knew when and how to use a patient's faith and the sacraments to cure them.
For twenty-four years, Joseph worked and prayed for his patients. He was the director of many hospitals and medical societies and poured all his strength into his life's calling. He even served as a doctor in the front lines of World War I.
On the afternoon of April 12, 1927, Dr. Moscati did not feel well, so he went to his office and relaxed in an arm chair. There he had a stroke and died. He was forty-seven.
Dr. Joseph Moscati was proclaimed a saint by Pope John Paul II on October 25, 1987. He was the first modern doctor to be canonized. After his death many pleople who have prayed to him have been healed.
Please note the name of the saint whose feast day is today in Salvation’s post #22 — St. Joseph Moscati
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English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
John 11 |
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45. | Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him. | multi ergo ex Iudaeis qui venerant ad Mariam et viderant quae fecit crediderunt in eum | πολλοι ουν εκ των ιουδαιων οι ελθοντες προς την μαριαν και θεασαμενοι α εποιησεν ο ιησους επιστευσαν εις αυτον |
46. | But some of them went to the Pharisees, and told them the things that Jesus had done. | quidam autem ex ipsis abierunt ad Pharisaeos et dixerunt eis quae fecit Iesus | τινες δε εξ αυτων απηλθον προς τους φαρισαιους και ειπον αυτοις α εποιησεν ο ιησους |
47. | The chief priests therefore, and the Pharisees, gathered a council, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? | collegerunt ergo pontifices et Pharisaei concilium et dicebant quid facimus quia hic homo multa signa facit | συνηγαγον ουν οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι συνεδριον και ελεγον τι ποιουμεν οτι ουτος ο ανθρωπος πολλα σημεια ποιει |
48. | If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. | si dimittimus eum sic omnes credent in eum et venient Romani et tollent nostrum et locum et gentem | εαν αφωμεν αυτον ουτως παντες πιστευσουσιν εις αυτον και ελευσονται οι ρωμαιοι και αρουσιν ημων και τον τοπον και το εθνος |
49. | But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing. | unus autem ex ipsis Caiaphas cum esset pontifex anni illius dixit eis vos nescitis quicquam | εις δε τις εξ αυτων καιαφας αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου ειπεν αυτοις υμεις ουκ οιδατε ουδεν |
50. | Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. | nec cogitatis quia expedit nobis ut unus moriatur homo pro populo et non tota gens pereat | ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται |
51. | And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. | hoc autem a semet ipso non dixit sed cum esset pontifex anni illius prophetavit quia Iesus moriturus erat pro gente | τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ο ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους |
52. | And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed. | et non tantum pro gente sed et ut filios Dei qui erant dispersi congregaret in unum | και ουχ υπερ του εθνους μονον αλλ ινα και τα τεκνα του θεου τα διεσκορπισμενα συναγαγη εις εν |
53. | From that day therefore they devised to put him to death. | ab illo ergo die cogitaverunt ut interficerent eum | απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον |
54. | Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews; but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples. | Iesus ergo iam non in palam ambulabat apud Iudaeos sed abiit in regionem iuxta desertum in civitatem quae dicitur Efrem et ibi morabatur cum discipulis | ιησους ουν ουκ ετι παρρησια περιεπατει εν τοις ιουδαιοις αλλα απηλθεν εκειθεν εις την χωραν εγγυς της ερημου εις εφραιμ λεγομενην πολιν κακει διετριβεν μετα των μαθητων αυτου |
55. | And the pasch of the Jews was at hand; and many from the country went up to Jerusalem, before the pasch to purify themselves. | proximum autem erat pascha Iudaeorum et ascenderunt multi Hierosolyma de regione ante pascha ut sanctificarent se ipsos | ην δε εγγυς το πασχα των ιουδαιων και ανεβησαν πολλοι εις ιεροσολυμα εκ της χωρας προ του πασχα ινα αγνισωσιν εαυτους |
56. | They sought therefore for Jesus; and they discoursed one with another, standing in the temple: What think you that he is not come to the festival day? And the chief priests and Pharisees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him. | quaerebant ergo Iesum et conloquebantur ad invicem in templo stantes quid putatis quia non veniat ad diem festum | εζητουν ουν τον ιησουν και ελεγον μετ αλληλων εν τω ιερω εστηκοτες τι δοκει υμιν οτι ου μη ελθη εις την εορτην |
57. | [...] | [...] | δεδωκεισαν δε και οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι εντολην ινα εαν τις γνω που εστιν μηνυση οπως πιασωσιν αυτον |
(*) Verse 57 is missing in the Vulgate and is attached to the end of verse 56 in Douay.
Thanks. I wonder if St. Joseph Moscati is any relation to the husband of our former student minister, Rev. Robin Moscati.
Catholic
Almanac:
Thursday, April 12 |
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Liturgical Color: Violet |
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Why do the sacraments belong to the Church? Why cannot anyone use them however he wants?
Sacraments are Christ's gift to his Church. It is her duty to administer them and to protect them from misuse.
Jesus entrusted his words and signs to specific men, namely, the apostles, who were to hand them on; he did not hand them over to an anonymous crowd. Today we would say: He did not post his inheritance on the Internet for free access but rather registered it under a domain name. Sacraments exist for the Church and through the Church. They are for her, because the Body of Christ, which is the Church, is established, nourished, and perfected through the sacraments. They exist through her, because the sacraments are the power of Christ's Body, for example in confession, where Christ forgives our sins through the priest.
Which sacraments can be received only once in a lifetime?
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. These sacraments imprint an indelible mark on the soul of the Christian. Baptism and Confirmation make him once and for all a child of God and Christlike. Holy Orders similarly leaves an imprint on a Christian man.
Just as someone always is and remains a child of his parents (and not just "sometimes" or "a little bit"), so also through Baptism and Confirmation one becomes forever a child of God, Christlike, and a member of his Church. Similarly, Holy Orders is not a "job" that a man does until retirement; rather, it is an irrevocable charism (gift of grace). Because God is faithful, the effect of these sacraments is maintained forever for the Christian - as receptivity to God's call, as a vocation, and as protection. Consequently these sacraments cannot be repeated. (YOUCAT questions 175-176)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1117-1121) and other references here.
Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (1066 - 1690)
Section 1: The Sacramental Economy (1076 - 1209)
Chapter 1: The Paschal Mystery in the Age of the Church (1077 - 1134)
Article 2: The Paschal Mystery in the Church's Sacraments (1113 - 1134)
II. THE SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH ⇡
As she has done for the canon of Sacred Scripture and for the doctrine of the faith, the Church, by the power of the Spirit who guides her "into all truth," has gradually recognized this treasure received from Christ and, as the faithful steward of God's mysteries, has determined its "dispensation."34 Thus the Church has discerned over the centuries that among liturgical celebrations there are seven that are, in the strict sense of the term, sacraments instituted by the Lord.
34.
Jn 16:13; cf. Mt 13:52; 1 Cor 4:1.
The sacraments are "of the Church" in the double sense that they are "by her" and "for her." They are "by the Church," for she is the sacrament of Christ's action at work in her through the mission of the Holy Spirit. They are "for the Church" in the sense that "the sacraments make the Church,"35 since they manifest and communicate to men, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communion with the God who is love, One in three persons.
35.
St. Augustine, De civ. Dei, 22,17:PL 41,779; cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,64,2 ad 3.
Forming "as it were, one mystical person" with Christ the head, the Church acts in the sacraments as "an organically structured priestly community."36 Through Baptism and Confirmation the priestly people is enabled to celebrate the liturgy, while those of the faithful "who have received Holy Orders, are appointed to nourish the Church with the word and grace of God in the name of Christ."37
36.
LG 11; cf. Pius XII, Mystici Corporis (1943).
37.
LG 11 § 2.
The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood.38 The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church. The saving mission entrusted by the Father to his incarnate Son was committed to the apostles and through them to their successors: they receive the Spirit of Jesus to act in his name and in his person.39 The ordained minister is the sacramental bond that ties the liturgical action to what the apostles said and did and, through them, to the words and actions of Christ, the source and foundation of the sacraments.
38.
Cf. LG 10 § 2.
39.
Cf. Jn 20:21-23; Lk 24:47; Mt 28:18-20.
The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or "seal" by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible,40 it remains forever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.
40.
Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1609.
Daily Readings for:April 12, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, who have made all those reborn in Christ a chosen race and a royal priesthood, grant us, we pray, the grace to will and to do what you command, that the people called to eternal life may be one in the faith of their hearts and the homage of their deeds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
o Pea Soup
ACTIVITIES
o Miniature Mystical Body -- Raising Children to Be Adults
PRAYERS
o Prayer for the Fifth Week of Lent
· Lent: April 12th
· Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Old Calendar: Julius I, pope (Hist)
Historically today is the feast of St. Julius, a Roman who was chosen Pope on the 6th of February in 337. He ruled the Church until 352 and received the appeal from St. Athanasius, whom he defended against his Arian accusers. The letter he wrote to the East on this occasion is one of the most momentous pronouncements of the Roman See. He built several churches in Rome and ranks as one of the most distinguished occupants of the Holy See.
St. Julius I
With Pope St. Julius the Papacy finds at its doorstep the vexing problem of the Eastern Arians. It is true that the Council of Nicaea had condemned Arianism, but in spite of that Arians had been growing in strength and had even gained the ear of Constantine, and what was more crucial, that of his son Constantius who succeeded him in the East.
The man who was compelled to face the problem was Julius, a Roman who had been chosen to succeed Mark after an unexplained interval of four months. He soon received delegates from Alexandria asking him to acknowledge a certain Pistus as bishop of Alexandria in place of Athanasius, the mighty fighter for orthodoxy. The delegates tried to prove that Athanasius, who actually had been the victim of Arian intrigue, had been validly deposed. Athanasius on his part also sent envoys and later came to Rome in person to plead his case before the Pope. The Arians asked Julius to hold a synod to decide the case, but when in 341 Julius actually did convene it, they refused to attend. The Pope held it without them and over fifty bishops decreed that Athanasius had been unjustly condemned. Julius informed the Arians at Alexandria of this decision and let them know that he was displeased at their uncooperative attitude.
The Emperor Constans, who ruled in the West, was favorable to the orthodox Christians while his brother Constantius, who ruled the East, was pro Arian. At this time both Emperors agreed to hold a big general council to see if religious unity could be achieved. Pope Julius approved of the plan and sent legates to Sardica, the modern Sofia, where the council gathered. The council did not achieve religious unity because the Arians, when they found themselves outnumbered, walked out. The council once again vindicated Athanasius and once more repeated the solemn Nicene Creed. It also left an interesting set of regulations on the manner in which appeals to the pope should be made.
In spite of the repeated vindications of Athanasius, that good man was unable to return to his see. Emperor Constans supported the Arian George until the usurper died. Then and only then was the long-suffering Athanasius allowed to go home. Pope Julius, delighted, wrote a letter to the people of Alexandria, congratulating them on the return of their true bishop.
At Rome the number of Christians continued to grow during the pontificate of Julius. He built two new basilicas and three cemetery churches. The stay of St. Athanasius at Rome helped to popularize Egyptian monasticism and gave an impetus to religious life there.
Pope St. Julius died April 12, 352. He was buried in the Cemetery of Calepodius. His feast is kept on April 12.
Excerpted from Popes Through the Ages by Joseph Brusher
Today's Station takes place in the Church of St. John before the Latin Gate. This ancient basilica is built near the spot where the beloved disciple was, by Domitian's order, plunged into the cauldron of boiling oil.
5th Week of Lent
I will … cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. (Ezekiel 37:23)
It has become common to think of a prophet as a person who can foretell the future. But really, a prophet is someone who hears from the Lord and shares what he has heard with the people around him. Ezekiel was given one clear word, which he announced over and over: Yahweh is the Lord. Not the rulers in the lands to which the Israelites were exiled. Not the gods of these rulers. Only Yahweh. He alone has the authority and power and desire to restore his people.
This message from Ezekiel had a special sense of urgency about it because of the state of the people to whom he spoke it. Israel was in exile, banished from the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of their Promised Land. That’s exile: living in unfamiliar territory. But despite the people’s exile, God promised that he would bring them home. No longer would they be divided or defiled. No longer would they be isolated or abandoned. No, God was going to deliver them and make them his people again. He wanted to shepherd them, establish peace with them, and live with them forever.
Few of us are exiled literally, but all of us have at times lived as exiles from the kingdom of God. These “lands” each have their own idols. They all have their own particular sins and, honestly, fairly dense populations. It might be an exile to the domain of drug and alcohol abuse or the realm of bitterness, anger, and resentment. Perhaps it’s the land of lying, cheating, or stealing or the nation of competition, acquisition, and pride.
It may seem dark in your land of exile, but Ezekiel has a word for you: God wants to bring you home! He is the one true God, the only one powerful enough to rescue you and plant you firmly in his kingdom. No matter how deep your pain, how strong your sin, or how stubborn your heart, God is greater. His eye is upon you. His hand is stretched out toward you. Reach out to him!
“Father, I believe that you are Lord and God. Come take me by the hand, and lead me home!”
(Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10-13; John 11:45-56
Daily Marriage Tip for April 12, 2014:
Take a trip down memory lane. Retell the story of your engagement and wedding day to each other or your kids. What was the craziest, funniest, most endearing part of these milestones for you?
On EWTN TV tonight at 8pm EST, is a movie biography/documentary on St. Joseph Moscati “Doctor of the Poor.”
I have the DVD. It is an exceptional movie.
Recordare
Saturday, 12 April 2014 12:44
Beata Passio
The vessel of the Church, having navigated the dark and stormy seas of Lent, prepares today to enter the serene port of the Passion of the Lord. The Roman Canon calls it His beata Passio, His blessed Passion. The Passion of Our Lord is as blessed as it was bitter; its bitterness contains the source of all blessedness, that is, of all our bliss, of eternal beatitude.
The Prayer of Jeremias
The prophet Jeremias threatened, hated, and rejected by his enemies, is a figure of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In today’s Mass the Church gives us Jeremias’ prayer in great anguish:
Give heed to me, O Lord,
and listen to my plea . . .
Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them,
to turn away Thy wrath from them. (Jeremias 18:19–20)
The Prayer of Jesus
The prayer of Jeremias announces the prayer of Jesus in His Passion. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that, “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard for His godly fear” (Hebrews 5:7). From the Cross, Jesus interceded for those who hated Him, and for those who nailed Him to the awful Tree: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Down through the ages, the Holy Ghost has moved the Church to enter into the prayer of Christ: to pray as He prayed.
The Prayer of Mary
So deeply did today’s text from Jeremiah penetrate the heart of the Church that it became the Offertory Antiphon of the Mass of September 15th, the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Recordare, Virgo Mater Dei . . .
Be mindful, O Virgin Mother of God,
when thou standest in the sight of the Lord,
to speak good things for us,
and to turn away His anger from us.
The Church recognizes in the Mother of Sorrows the New Eve, the Woman in whom the whole mystery of the Church is contained and revealed. The prayer of Christ becomes her prayer. Mary, the spotless image of the Church and the Mediatrix of All Graces, stands with her Son in ceaseless intercession, “since He always lives to make intercession for those who draw near to God through Him” (cf. Hebrews 7:25). The
Whoever is not With Me is Against Me | ||
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Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
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John 11:45-56 Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish." He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the Temple area, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?" Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to you. Without you I can do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is you working through me, despite my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love you more. Petition: Help me to see your will, Lord, above and beyond my own will and my own plans. 1. No Middle Ground: Today’s Gospel opens with the response to Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead. Some eyewitnesses of the miracle believed in him, but others did not; in fact, they went to “pour fuel on the fire” with the adversaries of Christ who were seeking a reason to condemn him. Here we see the mystery of human freedom at work. The overt action of God in our lives obliges us, in a certain sense, to move to either side of the truth. To what side of the truth am I moved when I sense the manifest action of God at work in my life, in the voice of my conscience, or in the lives of others? Does it help me to believe ever more deeply in Christ? 2. Is it All About Power? Why did the Pharisees so oppose the message and action of Jesus? One way of looking at the problem is to see it as the natural consequence of the human tendency toward control – even the control of things spiritual. The religious authorities of Christ’s time no doubt saw themselves as the custodians of the faith handed down to them by their forefathers. But it seems that slowly this custody became control. The authorities become less interested in the legitimacy of Jesus’ identity, message and mission and more interested in maintaining the established religious and political order. Yet even their resistance is incorporated into God’s plan. Their rejection leads Jesus to die for the nation, “and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.” How much do I try to control God’s action in my life? Conversation with Christ: You know, Lord, what is best for me because you are my Father, immensely good, inclined towards me, attentive to my pleas, eager to give me the body of your Son ever present in the great mystery of your Eucharist. Resolution: I will embrace with faith what I cannot – and should not – control. |
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