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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-22-18, M, The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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| 08-22-18
| Revised New American Bible
Posted on 08/21/2018 11:16:53 PM PDT by Salvation
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August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.
This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.
INVOCATIONS
O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.
Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."
Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.
Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII
IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.
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
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Sacred Heart Of Jesus
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Immaculate Heart of Mary
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The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.
The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
— St. John Eudes
Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]
The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
21
posted on
08/22/2018 12:16:10 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
August, 2018
The Holy Father's Prayer Intention
Universal – The Treasure of Families, That any far-reaching decisions of economists and politicians may protect the family as one of the treasures of humanity.
22
posted on
08/22/2018 12:16:40 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
'The greater a man's faith that Christ will reward him, the greater his readiness to endure every injustice. ' St. Mark the Ascetic
23
posted on
08/22/2018 12:22:25 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
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The Angelus
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary . . .
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary . . .
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42). |
24
posted on
08/22/2018 12:28:32 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
25
posted on
08/22/2018 8:48:28 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
26
posted on
08/22/2018 8:51:53 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
27
posted on
08/22/2018 8:55:58 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Mary, Our Queen
Feast Day: August 22
How can we spend this day to show Mother Mary that we love her?
We might want to whisper a Hail Mary while we work or play, or spend some time saying the family rosary.
PRAYER ON MARY'S FEASTS
Blessed Virgin Mary,
Jesus gave you to me as my Mother
when He was dying on the Cross.
I want to love you as Jesus did. I pray to you in these words:
Hail Mary, full of grace!
The Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of your womb, Jesus,
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour
of our death. Amen. |
|
28
posted on
08/22/2018 9:01:14 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
CATHOLIC ALMANACWednesday, August 22
Liturgical Color: White
Today is the Memorial of the Queenship of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, honoring Mary
as Queen of Heaven. In 1954 Pope Pius
XII established universal observance of
this feast to the whole Church in his
encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam.
29
posted on
08/22/2018 9:11:50 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Catholic Culture
Ordinary Time: August 22nd
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
MASS READINGS
August 22, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)
COLLECT PRAYER
O God, who made the Mother of your Son to be our Mother and our Queen, graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession, we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom the glory promised to your children. 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.
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Old Calendar: Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Sts. Timothy, Hippolytus & Symphorian, martyrs
The faithful, under the guidance of an unerring Catholic instinct, have ever recognized the queenly dignity of the Mother of "The King of kings and Lord of lords": the Fathers, the Doctors of the Church, Popes, down through the centuries, have given authoritative expression to this truth and the crowning testimony to this common belief is to be found clearly expressed in the wonders of art and in the profound teaching of the liturgy. In their turn theologians have shown the fitting nature of this title of Queen as applied to the Mother of God, since she was so closely associated with the redemptive work of her Son and is the Mediatrix of all graces. Pius XII, by his encyclical letter of October 11, 1954, granted the unanimous desire of the faithful and their pastors and instituted the feast of the Queenship of Mary, giving sanction thus to a devotion that was already paid by the faithful throughout the world to the sovereign Mother of heaven and earth.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is celebrated in the Ordinary Rite on the Saturday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost.
It is also the commemoration of Sts. Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian. St. Timothy is a Roman martyr put to death in 303 or 306 during the last persecution. His body lies at St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls, near that of the great Apostle. The history of St. Hippolytus, martyred at Ostia, near Rome, remains extremely obscure; it is probably in error that he is called bishop of Porto. St. Symphorian was a martyr of Autun, put to death while still a young man in the second or third century. He is one of the great saints of Gaul and several churches were built in his honor. His Acts appear to be genuine.
Queenship of Mary
With the certainty of faith we know that Jesus Christ is king in the full, literal, and absolute sense of the word; for He is true God and man. This does not, however, prevent Mary from sharing His royal prerogatives, though in a limited and analogous manner; for she was the Mother of Christ, and Christ is God; and she shared in the work of the divine Redeemer, in His struggles against enemies and in the triumph He won over them all. From this union with Christ the King she assuredly obtains so eminent a status that she stands high above all created things; and upon this same union with Christ is based that royal privilege enabling her to distribute the treasures of the kingdom of the divine Redeemer. And lastly, this same union with Christ is the fountain of the inexhaustible efficacy of her motherly intercession in the presence of the Son and of the Father.
Without doubt, then, does our holy Virgin possess a dignity that far transcends all other creatures. In the eyes of her Son she takes precedence over everyone else. In order to help us understand the preeminence that the Mother of God enjoys over all creation, it would help to remember that from the first moment of her conception the holy Virgin was filled with such a plenitude of grace as to surpass the graces enhancing all the saints. Recall what our predecessor Pius IX, of blessed memory, wrote in his Bull Ineflabilis Deus: "More than all the angels and all the saints has God ineffable freely endowed Mary with the fullness of the heavenly gifts that abound in the divine treasury; and she, preserving herself ever immaculately clean from the slightest taint of sin, attained a fullness of innocence and holiness so great as to be unthinkable apart from God Himself, a fullness that no one other than God will ever possess."
Spurred on by piety and faith, may we glory in being subject to the rule of the Virgin Mother of God; she bears the royal sceptre in her hand, while her heart is ever aflame with motherlove.
Excerpted from Ad Caeli Reginam, Pius XII
Things to Do:
Sts. Timothy, Hippolytus & Symphorian
During the pontificate of Pope Melchiades (311-314), Timothy of Antioch came to Rome and preached the Gospel. The prefect of the city, Tarquin, placed him under arrest and after a period of imprisonment ordered that he be scourged three times because he refused to sacrifice to the gods. After further excruciating torments Timothy was beheaded. At Ostia, the bishop, St. Hippolytus, was a man of exceptional culture. Because he was an outstanding witness to the faith, he was bound hand and foot by Emperor Alexander and cast into a deep pit filled with water; thereby he obtained the crown. Not far away Christians buried his body. At Autun the youthful Symphorian was brought to judgment under Emperor Aurelian (270-275). His mother urged perseverance: "My son, think of eternal life. Raise your glance to heaven and behold your eternal King! Your life will not be taken from you, but transformed into a better one!"
Excerpted from the Roman Martyrology
Things to Do:
30
posted on
08/22/2018 9:22:34 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
The Word Among Us
Meditation: Matthew 20:1-16
The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)
Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? (Matthew 20:15)
Imagine the following impossible scenario: you walk into a car dealership and say, “I want to buy one of your cars, but I only have five dollars.” Then the dealer hands you the keys to a brand-new Mercedes- Benz and says, “It’s all yours.” You stand there in complete astonishment for a moment. Then you ask the dealer, “Why did you do that?” And the owner says, “I’m so rich that I just felt like giving something away today. Please take the car and enjoy it—it’s on me.”
Today’s parable presents a similar situation involving an impossibly generous landowner. It’s the end of the day, and the landowner is paying his day laborers. He gives the laborer who worked only one hour a full day’s pay—the same amount that he gave those who had worked since dawn. We can imagine the laborer’s shocked response: “But I haven’t worked enough hours to deserve this!” And perhaps the landowner replies, “The number of hours you worked doesn’t matter. I just want to be generous, and you can’t earn someone’s generosity.”
We know that the landowner in this parable represents God. And we know that God cannot be outmatched in generosity. He even gave us his only Son, and that is a gift we could never earn. No matter what any of us do for the Lord, whether we follow him perfectly, make huge charitable donations, or sacrifice our lives as martyrs, it still wouldn’t be enough to merit such a priceless gift. The love behind such generosity can be hard to grasp, but that only makes it all the more appealing.
Some of us may think that this “impossible” love is too good to be true. We know that God loves us in theory. But in the back of our minds, we’re thinking about how much work we still have to do to clean up our bad habits and sins.
Never forget: the riches of God’s immeasurable grace far outweigh your sins and flaws. Jesus has carried each of your sins. He has forgiven you. He has given you his own Holy Spirit to help you live as a child of God. So have confidence in God’s mighty power—and freely receive his mercy and generosity!
“Lord, I receive the ‘impossible’ gift of your unending love for me!”
Ezekiel 34:1-11
Psalm 23:1-6
31
posted on
08/22/2018 9:33:02 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Daily Gospel CommentarySaint John Chrysostom (c.345-407)
priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homily 64
Each in his own time
“You also go to my vineyard.” My brethren, you may perhaps ask why all these laborers were not sent into the Lord's vineyard at the same time? I reply that God's intention was to call them all at once. But they hadn't wanted to come as soon as they were called at the first hour and this was the cause of their refusal. That was why God himself went to call each one individually... at the moment when he thought they might turn back and respond to his invitation.
This is what the apostle Paul clearly notes with regard to himself: “When it pleased God, he set me apart in my mother's womb,” (cf Gal 1:15). When was it that it pleased God if not when he saw that Paul would surrender to his call? To be sure, God would have liked to have called him at the beginning of his life, but because Paul would not have responded to his voice, God opted not to call him until he saw that he would respond. In the same way, God did not call the good thief until the last moment even though he could have done so earlier if he had foreseen that the man would have surrendered to his call.
And so, if the laborers of the parable say that no one hired them, we must remember God's patience... He himself demonstrates well enough that, for his part, he had done all he could to make it possible for all to come to him from the very first hour of the day. Thus Jesus's parable makes us see that people give themselves to God at very different times. And God desires before all else to prevent those who were called first from despising the last.
32
posted on
08/22/2018 9:37:07 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us PartDaily Marriage Tip for August 22, 2018:
The “Salve Regina” hymn – which honors Mary as Queen – is a beautiful prayer for the family to pray together. Even in the “valley of tears,” God is with us.
33
posted on
08/22/2018 9:41:27 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Regnum Christi
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Father José LaBoy, LC
Matthew 20: 1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So, they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So, when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe in you because you have revealed your plan of love to the Church. I hope in you because you are more interested in my happiness and salvation than I am. I love you because you have loved me without my deserving your love.
Petition: Lord, help me to appreciate and be grateful for your grace.
- There Is Always an Opportunity: One of the worst experiences is to accept that you have lost the last opportunity to do something you have always wanted to do. This can occur in any human situation: job opportunities, university acceptances, etc. In the spiritual life, on the other hand, there is always the opportunity to live only for God, the opportunity to be redeemed. There is always the possibility to start again. Why is this? It is because God has granted us our time on earth to walk towards him. Therefore, even if we fall, he continues to give us the strength to get up. That is why the sacrament of reconciliation is so important. When we lose grace, our spiritual strength, we can regain it in the sacraments, especially in confession.
- Expecting More Than You Deserve: Considered from a merely human point of view, this Gospel’s situation is an unjust one. Whoever works more should receive more than those who work less. We tend to forget, however, that in terms of the spiritual, everything is a gift. There is nothing in our nature that can demand grace. The demands of our faith are not “favors” we do for God, but existential obligations. That is why Christ reminds us, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do’” (Luke 17:10).
- The Generosity of God: God’s generosity is a manifestation of his love for us. He knows each and every person intimately and personally. He knows that the needs of some are bigger than those of others. To think that God loves some people more than others is an injustice to God. We owe love and respect to others because we are all human persons with the same dignity. We owe adoration and love to God because he is our creator and provident Father. But God owes nothing to his creatures. Everything he gives us is gratuitous and a fruit of his infinite love. It’s too easy to treat God in a human way, forgetting that he is God. The most beautiful gift he gives us is his grace.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, I sometimes see things from a very human and selfish point of view. Sometimes I find myself getting angry because others may have more than I do. Help me understand that the most important thing to be truly happy in my life is to be aware of the need I have of your grace.
Resolution: I will thank Christ for his grace and love and will try to imitate him by being generous to others.
34
posted on
08/22/2018 9:44:34 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Homily of the DayAugust 22, 2018
In this parable about the kingdom of heaven, the vineyard owner pays his workers the same amount, whether they worked from the beginning of the day or started at later hours. Questioned, the owner retorted, “Have I been unjust? I have paid you the day’s wage I promised? It is my decision with my own money!”
In the same way God will reward us as he wishes, whether we have served him all our life or only for part of my life. His generous reward of sharing life with him in heaven is freely his to give, when to give and to whom to give. No one is really entitled to heaven and God’s rewards.
Two things are important: that we do our work for God and that we are ready for him when he comes to demand an accounting on how we have done our work in life.
We thank God for his goodness to us, completely out of his liberality, and live and pray so as to receive his reward for all eternity
35
posted on
08/22/2018 9:58:32 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
One Bread, One Body
One Bread, One Body
Language: English | Espa�ol
All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 5
| << Wednesday, August 22, 2018 >> |
Queenship of Mary
|
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| |
Ezekiel 34:1-11
View Readings |
Psalm 23:1-6 |
Matthew 20:1-16
Similar Reflections |
| |
LOVING GOD FOR HIMSELF
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| "The reign of God is like the case of the owner of an estate who went out at dawn to hire workmen." �Matthew 20:1 |
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|
"There is, of course, great gain in religion" (1 Tm 6:6). "While physical training is to some extent valuable, the discipline of religion is incalculably more so, with its promise of life here and hereafter" (1 Tm 4:8). There are such awesome benefits to Christianity that Christians are tempted to think that these benefits are the reason for Christianity. However, the essence of the Christian life is love � unconditional love � for God is this kind of love (1 Jn 4:16). For example, we should want to go to heaven not primarily because heaven is so good but because God lives there. Christianity should not be focused on the blessings of God but on the God Who blesses. Because we are naturally selfish, it is difficult for God to get us to love Him for Himself. He nonetheless does this by making the cross the essence of Christianity. When we take up our crosses and suffer, we see that Christianity is not only about blessings. Through the cross, we enter into the love of the Crucified One. Moreover, the Lord sometimes gives everlasting happiness to those who do very little to merit it (see Mt 20:9; Lk 23:43). If we've been carrying the crosses of Christianity to get something out of it, we may observe this and complain: "This last group did only an hour's work, but you have put them on the same basis as us" (Mt 20:12). The Christian life doesn't compute if we look primarily at the benefits. Thus, Christianity must be essentially about something else. Be Christian. Live in unconditional love (Jn 15:9). Love God for Himself. |
| |
| Prayer: Father, may I love You even if I feel as Job felt. |
| Promise: "I Myself will look after and tend My sheep." —Ez 34:11 |
| Praise: Mary conformed her will to God's and received joy. Though a small-town girl, she said 'Yes' to the Lord and was lifted up to be the Queen of heaven and earth. |
|
36
posted on
08/22/2018 10:00:22 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
37
posted on
08/22/2018 10:02:40 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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