Posts Tagged ‘ Holy Spirit ’

Jesus is a ninja…

Image

Reading the Gospel today, I couldn’t help but think that Jesus was showing his ninja skills when he evaded the stoning they aimed at him after His proclamation that “I AM”.  I led the communion service this morning and I have to say it was weird saying those words from Jesus this morning.  Not just because they are so important for us to hear that Jesus said them, but because when you read them in the Gospel of John, it is as if you are saying them.

Knowing my sinfulness, I expected that I would be stoned and run out of the service this morning, but thanks to His mercy, I was allowed to stay and offered a simple reflection based on th

e video reflection that I watched from the USCCB website.  I don’t understand the sig

nificance of the ninja theme that has been

the focus of my last few posts, but I have the pro

mise from  the Word of God, that God will work it together for good for those that love Him

and are called according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28)

I am leaning on the Holy Spirit to lead my whole life and I hope that Jesus is taking the things that I struggle with in my life and preparing to reveal to me how I will be converted and continue to repent from my past sins and look to the future that is planned for me in heaven.

 I pray that my words on this post and this prayer can bring light to someone’s darkness and allow them to lean on the mercy that is promised to all those who strive to obey His Word…Amen!

2013
03/21
CATEGORY
Journal entries
1 comment

The New Jerusalem…by Jason Roebuck

Of course, I mean no disrespect to GK Chesterton‘s work entitled “The New Jerusalem” by giving that title to my post today.  I know that his book deals with a time in history when the Jewish people had not yet been given a state to call home in Israel, but I think the title fits, if you read further into my reflection on today’s Mass readings.  Of course, it could help if you read Today’s readings, as well as the Office of Readings that I prayed before beginning this reflection.

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:  

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,

for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still,

Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn

and her salvation like a burning torch.a

Nations shall behold your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

You shall be called by a new name

bestowed by the mouth of the LORD.  (Isaiah 62:1-2)

Observation:  I was reminded by my ten-year old son last night as I finished up with faith formation classes with the Hispanic community at our parish and he was heading out of the 5 o’clock Mass, that this first reading can be a powerful reminder of our calling as Christians.  He had committed to memory that first verse and repeated it back to me.  As I read it again this morning, along with the second verse and the rest of the readings, I realized that the prophet was talking about us too.  It is not just the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, but the rebuilding of our souls through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Especially for me, having allowed myself to be held in the Babylonian captivity of

English: Roebuck Surgery, Roebuck House, Roebu...

English: Roebuck Surgery, Roebuck House, Roebuck St (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

this world, before waking up to the original call that God laid on my heart.

Personification:  Joy.  If I am going to be able to display the fruit of joy, I must remember that God has called me to be a new creation.  I don’t know about the part about being called by another name, because I believe I would have to become a member of a religious community to do that, but maybe there is something to that.

Prayer:  Lord, help me remember to display the fruit of joy in my life today and thank you for all you do to keep me faithful to your word.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen!

2013
01/20
CATEGORY
Journal entries
Leave a comment

Do we have any reason to be surprised? Or live in fear!

Words

Words (Photo credit: sirwiseowl)

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:  (From the Office of Readings this morning)

RESPONSORY 1 Maccabees 3:20, 22, 19, 21, 22

They come against us with great insolence and lawlessness.
Do not fear them,
– for victory in war does not depend on the size of the army
but on the strength that comes from heaven.

We are fighting for our lives and our laws;
the Lord will crush our enemies before our eyes.
– For victory in war does not depend on the size of the army
but on the strength that comes from heaven.

&

Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life,
so that my boast for the day of Christ may be
that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
But, even if I am poured out as a libation
upon the sacrificial service of your faith,
I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.
In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.  (Phil. 2:14-18)

Observation:  With the result of the election being that the greater of the two evils, IMO, won, do we have reason to fear?  In reading the Office this morning and then as the Word continues to embolden my faith, in the first reading for today’s Mass, I am left with the knowledge and wisdom from God that is telling me that the only time I should fear is if I decide to stop following His Word.  God is not only with us, but against these seemingly insurmountable odds, He will bring us to His final victory.

Personification:  Faithfulness. Thanks be to God that the word that he provided for me today is keeping me faithful to Him, by His grace.  However, it is only by continue to follow His will for me today that I will be able to be kept safe from this evil and perverse generation.

Prayer:  Lord, help me always to be faithful to you by following your word and obeying your commands.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…Amen!

2012
11/07
CATEGORY
Journal entries
3 comments

The spirit moves us in the Gospel, are you listening?

Jesus and Saint Peter, Gospel of Matthew 4.18-...

Jesus and Saint Peter, Gospel of Matthew 4.18-20 Français : Jésus et Saint Pierre, Évangile selon Matthieu 4.18-20 (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: Wherever the spirit would go, they went. And they were raised up together with the living creatures, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. (Ezekiel 1:19)

&

* When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”  (Matthew 17:26-27)

Observation:  So, in the verse that I chose from the first reading today, I am reminded of the Gospel being what moves us in the Spirit, since the four animals are sometimes interpreted to symbolized the four evangelists that wrote the Gospels.  The wheels being a symbol of the way the Spirit is moving something connected to the Gospel message, and I think that something should be me.  I don’t know if that theologically coincides with the literal interpretation of Ezekiel’s vision, but that is what it is saying to me.  As for the actual message intended for me from today’s Gospel, I think it is that even though I may not be expected to give back to the church, more than I give already of my time and treasure that was given to me by a gracious God, I must remember to give God credit for what was given to me from the miracle of my having this job, working for His church.  Sure, it is not as amazing as Peter finding a coin in the mouth of a fish, but a miracle, just the same.

Personification:. Faithfulness. It is only when I can display the fruit of faithfulness to God’s Word and the church that was instituted by Jesus, that I can be sure of making good use of the grace that He gives me in the Sacraments that I receive.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be what you want me to be for my family and friends, so that I can Be sure that I am not standing in the way of your will for the people who I can most directly affect by my decisions.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen

2012
08/13
CATEGORY
Journal entries
Leave a comment

Jesus is our peace?

 

English: Stained glass windows at Notre-Dame, ...

English: Stained glass windows at Notre-Dame, Geneva, Switzerland. Top: God the Father; middle: Dove of Holy Spirit in trefoil; lower: Annunciation scene. Français : Vitraux de la basilique Notre-Dame, Genève, Suisse. Deutsch: Fenster in der Liebfrauenbasilika, Genf, Schweiz. (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:  For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  (Ephesians 2:14-18)

 

Observation:  I tried to title my journal entry for today, “If Jesus is our peace, why don’t we rest in Him more often?”  However, I think my title is a little more direct, because it begs the ultimate question, “Is Jesus our peace?”  If we want to have access to the holy Spirit and the Father, we must recognize Jesus as the one who can keep the peace, not just in the world, but in our hearts.  The world is creating turmoil in our hearts, through our families, we must rest in Jesus and tell Him what we need for peace.  If we go on trying to make peace by our actions, we will only create more unrest. (IMO)

 

Personification:  Joy  I have been the embodiment of fatigue lately, rather than joy, especially to my family.  I will focus my attention on displaying the fruit of joy today, with the grace of God making it possible.  I am especially joyful for the birth of my best friend David’s new baby daughter, and can’t wait to see her later this morning.

 

Prayer:  Lord, please give rest to those that need it this morning and help me remember to rest in You today.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit…Amen

 

 

 

Related articles

 

2012
07/22
CATEGORY
Journal entries
Leave a comment

You can tell the future…

Corcovado jesus

Corcovado jesus (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

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: Amos answered Amaziah, “I am not a prophet,* nor do I belong to a company of prophets. I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamores, but the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’  (Amos 7:14-15)

&

When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings.  (Matthew 9:8)

Observation:  As it says in the footnotes for the 8th verse of this Gospel reading from the Mass for 7/5/12, Matthew was saying this about man’s authority, because it was being challenged in his time in his church.  It is true that we are still having the authority challenged today in the church.  I submit, after reading the readings yesterday, especially these two verses listed above, and watching the reflection from the bishop’s website, I am the problem.  Not just me, but you as well.  If we are called to imitate Christ in our daily lives, why are we not telling the future like he did.  I am not talking about looking into a crystal ball or anything like that, but rather listening to the holy Spirit and telling people what God has revealed to us after discerning that the message came from him by making sure it aligns with what Jesus said in scripture.
Personification:  Patience  In order to focus on displaying the fruit of patience in my life today, I will remember to be patient with myself first, and patience for others will flow from the fact that I don’t lose it on myself.  The truth is, I am not perfect,  but Jesus is, and he makes up the difference for me when I can’t be perfect.
Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  Thank you for the free gift of grace that allows me to see the world through your eyes, and help me to continue to see it only through your eyes.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.
Related articles
2012
07/06
CATEGORY
Journal entries
2 comments

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary…Pray with me?

Litany of Loreto

V. Lord, have mercy.
R. Christ have mercy.
V. Lord have mercy. Christ hear us.
R. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. 
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us. 
Holy Mother of God, pray for us. 
Holy Virgin of Virgins, [etc.]
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good Counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace,

V. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
R. Spare us, O Lord. 
V. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
R. Graciously hear us, O Lord. 
V. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we thy servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be freed from present sorrow, and rejoice in eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
2012
06/16
CATEGORY
Journal entries
Leave a comment

The church is born today…What does that mean to me?

English: child Jesus with the virgin Mary, wit...

English: child Jesus with the virgin Mary, with the Holy Spirit (represented as a dove) and God the Father, with child john the Baptist and saint Elizabeth on the right (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.* But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-15)

Observation:  I went back and read the Office of Readings for yesterday, since it was the feast day of Saint Phillip Neri, it just felt like I couldn’t miss out on them.  I will try to catch up with today’s Office of Readings before youth group later today.  I mention the reading that I did in addition to the regular reading of the readings for Mass, to explain that the  choice of this Gospel reading today was borne out of the process of a lot of reading this morning and not just my normal perusal of the daily Mass readings.  It is not that my normal perusal of the readings is not sufficient for my journaling, but since we are celebrating the birthday of the church today, I felt that extra attention was due God for sending this amazing gift to lead us to faith almost two thousand years ago.

Personification:  Joy  It is my hope that I know today that God is revealing the true joy to me today that comes from trusting God to be with me at all times through the holy Spirit and physically through the body and blood of His Son, and someday my joy will be complete when I am with the Father in Heaven, by His grace.

Prayer:  Lord, give me a joyful heart like Saint Phillip Neri and help me to repent of my will in favor of yours.  Saint Phillip Neri, pray for us.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit. Amen.

Related articles
2012
05/27
CATEGORY
Journal entries
Leave a comment

Imagine Paul’s teaching from Rome…It might look like this…

Of course, this is what our imagination is fed by today…At least, I am willing to admit mine is…

Or maybe like this…This is more directly from the first reading for Today’s Mass Readings!

Prayer:  Lord, help me to see the fruit that comes from Paul’s teaching in Rome both historical and what his death is saying to us today.  Saint Paul, pray for us.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen

2012
05/26
CATEGORY
Random post
Leave a comment

I remember when I stopped questioning and knew that the church was from God!

The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded...

The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded by angels, by Giaquinto, 1750s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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: And when Paul laid [his] hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.  (Acts 19:6)

&

Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.”*  (John 16:30)

Observation:  In the first reading for today’s Mass readings, we hear how the newly introduced to the holy Spirit are able to prophecy and speak in tongues.  How much more should we who have known the holy Spirit for some time be able to do the same thing, or even more miraculous things.  All too often, we think that someone else will have the gift to do it, but not us…Why not us?  In the Gospel reading, I am reminded that I came to the same conclusion that the Apostles came to about Jesus, about the church over 20 years ago.

Personification:  Self-control  For too long, I have allowed my sinful nature and bad decisions get in the way of the future that God had planned for me.  With the help of God’s grace, I hope to start a new chapter in my faith life today, by being unashamed of the Gospel at all times, and willing to speak in whatever way God wills and be a prophet, if whatever ways God wills me to be one.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be faithful to you and follow whatever the holy Spirit is leading me to today.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
05/21
CATEGORY
Journal entries
Leave a comment
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 224 other followers

%d bloggers like this: