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December 30, 2014

The soul has three enemies – the flesh, the world and Satan. St. John, in the first reading defines flesh as the sensual body, when we are governed by unrestrained desires, passions or sensual appetites, we become slaves to sex, food, drinks, drugs and even violence. The world has a lot to offer us like money, prestige, honor, adulation, etc. It presents to us a life of happiness based on these seductions. Our identity then comes from what we possess and not anymore from being children of God. St. John tells us not to love this passing world or anything in it because they are all coming to an end. “But the one who does the will of God remains forever.” Death is inevitable, we will all depart from this world naked. So we must have proper discernment of what is good and evil for us or we can easily fall into the deception of Satan who is also called the “angel of light,” the father of deceit. He always tries to lead us to love fleshly pleasures and succumb to the allurements of the world. And when we are swallowed up by these, he takes away hope and leads us to sadness and despair. When life has no meaning, suicide becomes a possibility. To be able to resist we must put on God’s armor – truth as our belt, integrity for a breastplate, the eagerness to spread the gospel as our footwear, our helmet is the salvation of God and the Word of God is our sword. Why do we need these weapons? Because a new year is coming. We will end the year with fireworks and revelry. Then when all the fun is over, we must go back to reality – work, studies, bills to pay, a family to support, etc. We will need spiritual weapons to fight the enemies of the soul.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 1

<< Tuesday, December 30, 2014 >>

1 John 2:12-17
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Psalm 96:7-10

Luke 2:36-40
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BREAK THE WORLD RECORD

"Have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords." —1 John 2:15

"If anyone loves the world, the Father's love has no place in him" (1 Jn 2:15). If we are set on the things of the world, we are enemies of the cross (Phil 3:18-19). "A man is marked out as God's enemy if he chooses to be the world's friend" (Jas 4:4). Therefore, it is a matter of everlasting life or death that we both have no love for the world and be crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14).

What does the Lord mean by the "world"? "Carnal allurements, enticements for the eye, the life of empty show — all these are from the world" (1 Jn 2:16). Another translation is: "The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 Jn 2:16, RSV-CE).

"Who, then, is conqueror of the world?" (1 Jn 5:5)

"the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 Jn 5:5),
the one who receives the Holy Spirit, Who proves the world wrong about sin, justice, and condemnation (Jn 16:8), and
the one who is at the foot of the cross where the Spirit crucifies us to the world (see Gal 6:14).

"The world with its seductions is passing away but the man who does God's will endures forever" (1 Jn 2:17).

Prayer: Father, make me a light to the world of darkness (Mt 5:14).

Promise: "She was constantly in the temple, worshiping day and night in fasting and prayer. Coming on the scene at this moment, she gave thanks to God and talked about the Child to all." —Lk 2:37-38

Praise: Margaret quietly and obscurely prays before the Blessed Sacrament and in so doing is instrumental in calling down God's graces to change this world for the better.