Posts Tagged ‘ christianity ’

Called to live an out of this world life, holy!!!

Jesus christ(coptic)

Jesus christ(coptic) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:  For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God* that you have through the imposition of my hands.For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,* nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.* He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,for which I was appointed preacher and apostle and teacher.* On this account I am suffering these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know him in whom I have believed and am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.  (2 Timothy 1:6-12)

Observation:  I wrote out an entry for my journal this morning, it disappeared as I tried to post it.  The title was saved, but the body of the entry was erased, as if I never wrote anything.  I must have said something that was either going to get me in to trouble or was not written for building up the kingdom of God.  As I write this journal entry this evening, I do not know if what I am writing will be worthy to be posted, but I can be sure that God is working on me, so that I will understand more fully what his Word is revealing to me.

Personification:  Self-Control  It is only through the grace of God that I can display the fruit of self-control.  When I rely on my understanding and knowledge, along with my will and selfish desires, I can never hope to display the fruit of self-control.  However, once I realize that God has created me for so much more  than my own desires, I start to see the power and love that controls my will and directs me to follow His will for my life.

Prayer:  Lord, I want to make myself into the man who you created me to be, by complying with your will in my life.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
06/06
CATEGORY
Journal entries
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When you visit your relative, hate what is evil…

Sandro Botticelli, Magnificat, 1480-81, temper...

Sandro Botticelli, Magnificat, 1480-81, tempera on panel, Uffizi Gallery, Florence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:  Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord (Romans 12:9-11)

Observation:  Ok, I took a little poetic license with combining the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the first reading from Mass.  If it causes just one person to click on my blog today and read the readings for today’s Mass, and even more if it causes them to go to Mass, I will feel like God accomplished the objective of my little blog of getting more people to read His Word, and that is awesome.

Personification: Peace   It is my hope that I can display the fruit of peace in my life today and be an instrument of God’s peace to my family and my community today.  It is only be focusing on the truth that comes from God that I can display peace.

Prayer:  Lord, bring me to your peace today and allow me to put Your peace on display to everyone I meet in person, online or on the phone.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit. Amen.

2012
05/31
CATEGORY
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If we believe, we would be doing greater works than Jesus?..

God, the Father watches us all everywhere.

God, the Father watches us all everywhere. (Photo credit: angelofsweetbitter2009)

Gift: Knowledge – With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God’s Revelation, especially as expressed in the life and words of Jesus Christ. A person with knowledge is always learning more about the scriptures and Tradition.

Reading:  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.  (John 14:12-14)

Observation:  It strikes me this morning just how matter of fact Jesus is in John’s Gospel here when he says that believers will greater works than the ones that He did.  I guess the challenge is to figure out what works God is wanting to work through me, and make sure that I am making myself available to God, so everyone can see these greater works being done through me.

Personification:  Faithfulness  I hope that I can display the fruit of faithfulness in my life today, by being attentive to the places that God wants me to be, so that God can carry out the great works that He has planned to do through me.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to make myself present to you in all the things I do and say today…I ask this, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit…Amen!!!

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2012
05/05
CATEGORY
Journal entries
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Release me, a prisoner doomed to die…

Stained glass window of the sacred Heart of Je...

Stained glass window of the sacred Heart of Jesus Christ in the former Mosque (Cathedral) of Cordoba, Spain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gift:  Understanding – With the gift of understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live.

Reading:  Let this be written for the next generation,

for a people not yet born,

that they may praise the LORD:

*“The LORD looked down from the holy heights,

viewed the earth from heaven,

To attend to the groaning of the prisoners,

to release those doomed to die.”  (Psalm 102:19-21)

Observation:  I recognize that the Psalmist is talking about all of us who are doomed to die here on earth, to continue groaning to God because we know that he will hear our groaning and answer us.  It is only through the recognition that it is not after death that God will save us, but rather during our life that we can be saved, if we only remember that we are doomed to die and keep trusting in God’s grace to bring us to eternal life.

Personification:  Love  It is the fruit of love that I hope to display.  The fruit of love that brings with it truth of God’s grace to everyone that I meet today.  It is only possible for me to display this fruit because of the grace that comes from the church and my willingness to take part in the activities in the church to bring God’s grace to me.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to stay faithful to you, no matter how unwilling my flesh may be at times.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
03/27
CATEGORY
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Let me be righteous, by the grace of God…

Our Lord Jesus Christ

Our Lord Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:  The LORD’s face is against evildoers to wipe out their memory from the earth. The righteous cry out, the LORD hears and he rescues them from all their afflictions.  (Psalm 34:17-18)

Observation:  I hope the Lord’s face is never against me.  In other words, I do not want to be an evildoer.  I hope that my cries to the Lord are deemed worthy to rescue me from my afflictions.  This reading was such a blessing to me today.

Personification:  Gentleness  I hope to display the fruit of gentleness today, by paying attention to the needs of all of my family that is around me now.  I want to be attentive to everyone, but not neglect anyone in the process.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, I have redemption by your blood, and forgiveness of our sins, in accord with the riches of your grace.  Please help me to share this redemption in the ways that your will show to me today.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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2012
03/23
CATEGORY
Journal entries
4 comments

Abundant fish…

Jesus

Jesus (Photo credit: madam3181)

Gift:  Knowledge – With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God’s Revelation, especially as expressed in the life and words of Jesus Christ. A person with knowledge is always learning more about the scriptures and Tradition.

Reading:  Wherever it flows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; fish will abound. Where these waters flow they refresh; everything lives where the river goes.  (Ezekiel 47:9)

&

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?”  (John 5:6)

Observation:  It was the video from the USCCB website that helped me with my reflection that I shared with the faithful people of God that came to our church to share the body of Christ in Communion with me.  I looked for the one thing to preach on, and it was the abundant fish.  We should see ourselves as the abundant fish that Ezekiel is talking about that are nourished by the living water that flows from God throughout this world from the church.   For my journal, I added the question of Jesus, because I hear him asking me this question, “Do you want to be well?”  Well, do I?  If I do, shouldn’t I live like someone who is confident that he can overcome whatever sin I struggle with?

Personification:  Joy  I have felt compelled to display the fruit of joy for a few days now, and I haven’t written it in my journal because it was something that I was just doing, not needing to focus on.  I am going to focus on it today, no matter what comes my way, I will be joyful.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be well, because you are the one who makes me well.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

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2012
03/20
CATEGORY
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1 comment

Obedience…Real obedience…From Father Robert Barron…God bless you!

My first installment of playing a Sermon on Sunday and not my own reflections…New Sunday practice…We will see how long it lasts, or if I ever find someone to post besides Father Robert Barron…This is good!

http://www.wordonfire.org/WOF-Radio/Sermons/Sermon-Archive-for-2012/Sermon-582-Listening-to-Him-2nd-Sunday-of-Lent.aspx

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2012
03/04
CATEGORY
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2 comments

What is holding back our perfection?

Heart of Jesus

Heart of Jesus

Gift:  Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe) – With the gift of wonder and awe (fear of the lord), we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love.

Reading:  This day the LORD, your God, is commanding you to observe these statutes and ordinances. Be careful, then, to observe them with your whole heart and with your whole being.  (Deuteronomy 26:16)

&

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. So be perfect,* just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  (Matthew 5:43-45,48)

Observation:  It is not that I feel like I am going to be approaching perfection any time soon, but I am hearing the call to perfection very loud and clear today.  I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, so it is very hard for me to focus on being good.  I said all of my prayers this morning, as usual, but I should have recognized my need for sleep and just went back to sleep after I said them.  Instead, I let myself be distracted by the things of this world and did not do what I knew my body needed.  From a TV show that my son was watching when I first woke up, to the random websites that I perused to keep my mind occupied, and not let it sleep  I learned that if I am going to be out late again, even for a good reason like a Christian music concert, I need to make sure that I make arrangements to get enough rest and trust that God is with me and wants me to be perfect and not distracted.

Personification:   Faithfulness  I hope that the fruit of faithfulness will show through as I complete this day and make reparations for any damage that I did to my relationships with my family and my God today.  I will lean on God’s mercy to carry me through to completion this day, and know that I am not close to perfect yet, but thankfully God is not finished with me yet.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to follow the path that you have laid out before me this evening and don’t allow my mind to get distracted from your will.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
03/03
CATEGORY
Journal entries
1 comment

Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy…(Leviticus 19:2b)

A page from Leviticus, in the Samaritan bible

The book of Leviticus, from the Samaritan Bible...

Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:  Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.* * You shall not hate any of your kindred in your heart. Reprove your neighbor openly so that you do not incur sin because of that person.Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.  (Leviticus 19:2b,17-18)

&

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’* Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  (Matthew 25:40-41)

Observation:  Today’s readings are revealing to me that it is not just the strict adherence to the law that makes us holy, it is the heart that lies behind the adherence to the law.  I would hope that God could see that my heart is pure and I am trying to follow His will and not my own.  I hope that the just judge would not see fit to place me on his left and the words, “Depart from me” would not be directed at me.  I can’t even imagine how sad that it would be to hear those words from God.

Personification:  Love   After reading the admonition to love your neighbor as yourself from the first reading, it would only make sense to want to display the fruit of love, unless I was hoping to end up in the fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels.  It sounds like an easy proposition, to display love when there are so many people in need of it, but it is not so easy when the people who you are closest to, make it so hard to love them.  I am the type of person that enjoys a good hug or a sweet kiss from my children as a sign of their love and mine, but often it is discipline that I have to give them first and be patient for them to listen and then eventually come back to me.

Prayer:  God, I know that you are disciplining me to be able to love you the way you want me to, help me to accept your discipline and learn to love you the way you want me to.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
02/27
CATEGORY
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The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. (Psalm 19:9a)

3rd quarter of 16th century

Image via Wikipedia

Gift:   Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  * He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”  (Mark 9:29)

Observation:  It is by God’s grace that I made it to Mass this morning.  I assumed that since there is a holiday at the office, there would be no Mass this morning, but I was pleasantly surprised to be called to let some people into the chapel, and once I got there, Father was in the chapel and they were singing the opening hymn in Spanish.  I don’t understand all the prayers and readings in Spanish yet, but it is still Jesus present in the Eucharist and I still love to be in his presence while there is a room full of people praising him.  It is the prayer that comes from Mass and a life focused on God that will save us from evil.  This may not be exactly what Jesus is talking about in the Gospel today, but it is what I am hearing.

Personification:  Joy  I can think of no better way to personify the fruit of joy, than to smile.  As now, Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York,  said in his address to the Consistory on the day before he was appointed Cardinal with the other 21 other Cardinals, that he heard when he was in the seminary, a homily that consisted of a call to smile when they were walking around Rome, to show the joy that comes from their experience of faith in Jesus.

Prayer:  Lord, I hope that the joy that comes from your sacrifice on the cross will be ever-present in my face and my demeanor, so that everyone who meets me will know that I have faith in you.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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2012
02/20
CATEGORY
Journal entries
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