(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)
MAY 1️⃣2️⃣ – Mary, Seat of Wisdom
💭 To Reflect
Mary, was fully receptive to the Wisdom of God, and bore in herself Wisdom-Incarnate.
✅ To Practise
Ask for the Gift of Wisdom!
🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may be open to the Wisdom of God, and allow God’s Plans to fulfil in my life, Amen!
“Being willing to let go a life of sin, embrace the words of the Lord and live them joyfully and fervently in our life!”
(Based on Acts 13:26-33 and Jn 14:1-6 – Friday of the 4th Week in Easter)
Most of us would have experienced the “falling asleep” or “numbness” of arms, legs and feet, especially while sitting cross-legged (usually while sitting on the floor).
Right?
Technically known as “peripheral neuropathy” or “paraesthesia”, this syndrome is caused by the compression of specific nerves.
When one sits cross-legged, sleep with arm above the head, or position any limb in such a way to put excess pressure on a nerve, that nerve will stop sending impulses normally.
If the pressure is great, or the duration long, the nerve will eventually stop sending impulses altogether.
That particular area will essentially then “fall asleep” or feel “numb”.
Once the pressure is relieved, the nerve starts functioning normally again and one is able to move the limb.
It may, however, take some time to work properly and one may feel some tingling, “pins and needles”, during the process.
Spiritually speaking, it is very much possible that one experiences such “falling asleep” or a “numbness” in one’s conscience.
This is spiritual paraesthesia!
This “lack of sensation” can cause one to be “life-less” and “feeling-less” to…
… constant occurrences of sin and evil doings
… frequent aberrations in moral and ethical life
… even constant spiritual reminders that the Lord gives us
The Gospel of the Day presents a case of “spiritual paraesthesia”, which could perhaps, be a reality in our lives as well…
Jesus, in the Gospel of the day, declares Himself as “The Way, The Truth and The Life” (Jn 14:6)
This reply of the Lord came in response to the query of Thomas, the Apostle who asked Jesus, “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)
Thomas, along with the other disciples, had by now, spent quite a lot of time with Jesus, their Master….
They had encountered Jesus as The Way….
… the Way Forward: when sicknesses and problems of life had crippled the lives of many
They had encountered Jesus as The Truth….
… the Truth Uncompromised: when lies and malicious forces sought to thwart the plans of the Kingdom of God
They had encountered Jesus as the Life….
… the Life in Abundance: when hopelessness and sin would cause people to give up any aspirations for life
Yet, the disciples failed to recognize these aspects in Jesus.
They were perhaps, in a state of “spiritual paraesthesia”…
… being numb to understanding Jesus
… unable to sense the words and depths of the Words of Jesus.
And so when Thomas put forward the doubt: “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)…
… Jesus emphatically declared, “I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE!” (Jn 14: 6)
The Lord wanted the disciples to overcome their “spiritual paraesthesia”…
…and come to be aware of the Reality and Greatness of His Presence in their life!
Perhaps, we too often find ourselves in a state of “spiritual paraesthesia” or “spiritual numbness!”
One of the main factors, which can cause this state of “spiritual numbness,” is the reality of sin in our lives…
… which many times, we either deny or fail to acknowledge.
In the teachings of Jesus, one of the stand-out factor was His uncompromising attitude with respect to sin.
And perhaps, this is where Jesus as a Holy Person stands out incomparable with all other great spiritual or philosophical leaders of the world.
This is also where Christianity as a religion stands out unmatched with any other belief system or practice of spirituality.
For Jesus and in Christianity…
… there is an uncompromising teaching on the need to root out sin and evil offences
… there is an absolutely unparalleled insistence on removal of sin for spiritual progress
… there is an unsurpassed assertion on being holy and pure to be in communion with Him
We need to make an honest examination of our conscience…
Is our life suffering from a “spiritual paraesthesia” or “numbness to what is holy” or a “lack of sensation to sin”…
… Do I continue to pursue, persevere or promote deeds of sin, even though I am aware of it, or has been brought to my notice?
… Do I fail to be sensitive to issues of immense sin and evil happening in and around me, in people and situations, and instead become indifferent and uninterested?
A persistence in this spiritual “paraesthesia” or numbness can very dangerously sever our relation with the Lord.
The Lord proclaims that “In My Father’s house, there are many rooms…” (Jn 14: 2)
St Paul beautifully proclaims the wonders of the Resurrection of Jesus and the promise of blessing that is enshrined to everyone who follows Him:
“But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days, He appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.
And we bring you the Good News that what God promised to the fathers; this He has fulfilled to us their children, by raising Jesus!” (Acts 13:30-33)
Yes, the Lord wishes and desires, that all of us….
… should dwell with Him!
… should enjoy eternal life in Him!
… should reach the heights of holiness!
But this also requires our genuine co-operation to the Grace of the Lord…
… by seeking to get over our spiritual paraesthesia or numbness…
This process of getting out of this spiritual “paraesthesia” will involve feeling some “tingling pins and needles” of reparation, penance and atonement.
Let us be willing to…
… let go a life of sin
… embrace the words of the Lord
… and live them joyfully and fervently in our life!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF FAITH
Christ sent his apostles so that “repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations.”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
The mission to baptize, and so the sacramental mission, is implied in the mission to evangelize, because the sacrament is prepared for by the word of God and by the faith which is assent to this word:
The People of God is formed into one in the first place by the Word of the living God…. the preaching of the Word is required for the sacramental ministry itself…
… since the sacraments are sacraments of faith, drawing their origin and nourishment from the Word. (CCC # 1122)
(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)
MAY 1️⃣1️⃣ – Mary, Mirror of Justice
💭 To Reflect
Mary, being united with Jesus, Her Beloved Son, mirrored and reflected the wonderful justice of God – perfect holiness and sanctity.
✅ To Practise
Reflect God’s Justice – by a life of sanctity and holiness
🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may reflect God’s Justice and Holiness through my acts and deeds, Amen!
“Being firm and joyful in being an ‘Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!’”
(Based on Acts 13:13-25 and Jn 13:16-20 – Thursday of the 4th Week in Easter)
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high ranking diplomat who represents a state.
He/she is usually accredited to another sovereign state, or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sovereign.
Ambassadors have some general functions…
Diplomatic:
Conducting negotiations with the host government, representing their state in meetings and delivering messages on behalf of their own government, receiving messages the host government for relay back to their own; being the spokesperson for their government etc.
Ceremonial:
Representing their government at public events in that host country and being the most visible symbol of their own country
Administrative:
Overseeing the operations at the embassy and of other diplomats and staff.
This word “ambassador” is also often used more liberally for persons who are known, without national appointment, to represent certain professions, activities and fields of endeavour.
The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the “Ambassador” of His Heavenly Father, and who in turn, invites each of us to be His Ambassador and of His Kingdom in our world.
Jesus says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives the One who sent Me” (Jn 13:20)
Jesus came into this world to reveal the love and mercy of God.
He is Love made flesh and Mercy Incarnate.
While on earth, Jesus sought to be the perfect Representative of God, His Almighty and Beloved Father.
Finding deep communion in long hours of prayer, Jesus would emphatically give witness to His Father…
… by His mighty deeds of power, spectacular wonders of healing and His heart-touching words of eternal life.
This mission of being the Ambassador of the Father, was however, not without its shares of pain for Jesus…
… He had the face the pain of being rejected by His own people
… He had to bear the agony of being betrayed by His own chosen one
… He had to face the humiliation of the worst form of execution known those days
Yet, none of this could deter the Lord from choosing to be the “Ambassador” for the Kingdom of Heaven.
He today invites each one of us to be an “Ambassador” for Him and His Kingdom.
Like an ambassador of the state or a country, perhaps we too have certain functions and roles as being the privileged “Ambassador for Christ”…
Diplomatic:
In the sense of not being compromising, but a function that makes us to be convinced and passionate in preaching the message of the Lord and His Kingdom to others.
Nothing should bring us low or falter us from standing firm in proclaiming His Word and standing for His Gospel virtues.
Ceremonial:
In the sense of not being show-off or parading mere externally, rather a duty that requires of us to make our very lives and every action a witness of the Love and Mercy of God.
Our very words should reflect the goodness of the Lord Our very actions should radiate the gentleness and holiness of the Lord
Our very life should mirror the self-sacrificing and altruistic nature of the Lord.
Administrative
In the sense of not being power-hungry or position-seekers, rather, with a servant-like attitude, seeking the good and upliftment of others.
As a representative of Christ, we must also feel the obligation within us to bring others to the faith in Jesus and make His message of love and holiness to spread to all.
The spiritual growth of the other ought to become a genuine concern for me!
St Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians echoes this call and invite of the Lord, to be His Ambassadors…
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Cor 5:18-20).
We read in the Acts of the Apostles of St Paul along with other companions giving a public witness to Jesus and thus becoming His ambassador! (Acts 13:14 ff)
Let us also be firm and joyful in being an “Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!”
God Bless! Live Jesus!
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST
The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood.
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.
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.
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, it remains for ever 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 (CCC # 1120-1121)
(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)
MAY 1️⃣1️⃣ – Mary, Mirror of Justice
💭 To Reflect
Mary, being united with Jesus, Her Beloved Son, mirrored and reflected the wonderful justice of God – perfect holiness and sanctity.
✅ To Practise
Reflect God’s Justice – by a life of sanctity and holiness
🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may reflect God’s Justice and Holiness through my acts and deeds, Amen!
“Being firm and joyful in being an ‘Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!’”
(Based on Acts 13:13-25 and Jn 13:16-20 – Thursday of the 4th Week in Easter)
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high ranking diplomat who represents a state.
He/she is usually accredited to another sovereign state, or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sovereign.
Ambassadors have some general functions…
Diplomatic:
Conducting negotiations with the host government, representing their state in meetings and delivering messages on behalf of their own government, receiving messages the host government for relay back to their own; being the spokesperson for their government etc.
Ceremonial:
Representing their government at public events in that host country and being the most visible symbol of their own country
Administrative:
Overseeing the operations at the embassy and of other diplomats and staff.
This word “ambassador” is also often used more liberally for persons who are known, without national appointment, to represent certain professions, activities and fields of endeavour.
The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the “Ambassador” of His Heavenly Father, and who in turn, invites each of us to be His Ambassador and of His Kingdom in our world.
>> Jesus says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives the One who sent Me” (Jn 13:20)
Jesus came into this world to reveal the love and mercy of God.
>> He is Love made flesh and Mercy Incarnate.
While on earth, Jesus sought to be the perfect Representative of God, His Almighty and Beloved Father.
Finding deep communion in long hours of prayer, Jesus would emphatically give witness to His Father…
… by His mighty deeds of power, spectacular wonders of healing and His heart-touching words of eternal life.
This mission of being the Ambassador of the Father, was however, not without its shares of pain for Jesus…
… He had the face the pain of being rejected by His own people
… He had to bear the agony of being betrayed by His own chosen one
… He had to face the humiliation of the worst form of execution known those days
Yet, none of this could deter the Lord from choosing to be the “Ambassador” for the Kingdom of Heaven.
He today invites each one of us to be an “Ambassador” for Him and His Kingdom.
Like an ambassador of the state or a country, perhaps we too have certain functions and roles as being the privileged “Ambassador for Christ”…
Diplomatic:
In the sense of not being compromising, but a function that makes us to be convinced and passionate in preaching the message of the Lord and His Kingdom to others.
>> Nothing should bring us low or falter us from standing firm in proclaiming His Word and standing for His Gospel virtues.
Ceremonial:
In the sense of not being show-off or parading mere externally, rather a duty that requires of us to make our very lives and every action a witness of the Love and Mercy of God.
>> Our very words should reflect the goodness of the Lord Our very actions should radiate the gentleness and holiness of the Lord
>> Our very life should mirror the self-sacrificing and altruistic nature of the Lord.
Administrative
In the sense of not being power-hungry or position-seekers, rather, with a servant-like attitude, seeking the good and upliftment of others.
>> As a representative of Christ, we must also feel the obligation within us to bring others to the faith in Jesus and make His message of love and holiness to spread to all.
>> The spiritual growth of the other ought to become a genuine concern for me!
St Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians echoes this call and invite of the Lord, to be His Ambassadors…
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Cor 5:18-20).
We read in the Acts of the Apostles of St Paul along with other companions giving a public witness to Jesus and thus becoming His ambassador! (Acts 13:14 ff)
>> Let us also be firm and joyful in being an “Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!”
God Bless! Live Jesus!
——————————–
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST
>> The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood.
>> 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.
>> 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.
>> 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, it remains for ever 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 (CCC # 1120-1121)
——————————–
(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)
MAY 1️⃣0️⃣ – Mary, Virgin most faithful
💭 To Reflect
Mary remained ever faithful to the Will of God, and held firmly to the Yes that was professed at the Annunciation.
✅ To Practise
Faithfulness to God’s Will
🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may remain every faithful to the Will of the Lord.
“Orienting our lives more and more to the Lord, and seeking to live a life that is intimately more connected to Him!”
(Based on Acts 12:24-13:5a and Jn 12:44-50 – Wednesday of the 4th Week in Easter)
“I keep six honest serving-men…
They taught me all I knew;
Their names are ‘What and Why and When, and How and Where and Who’”
These are the words of the author, Rudyard Kipling who is famous for his book, “The Jungle Book”
This concept of 5W’s and 1H – What, Why, When, Where, Who and How – is extensively used in journalism, especially while writing a factual news story.
It is said that one of the classical methods in writing the opening paragraph of a news story should contain answers to, as far as possible, all these 5W’s and 1H.
The Gospel of the Day describes St John presenting a ‘Recapitulation Passage’ on Jesus.
This passage gives a neat answer in tune with the concept of 5W’s and 1H…
• WHO is Jesus?
• WHAT did Jesus do?
• WHY did Jesus come?
• WHERE did Jesus come?
• WHEN did Jesus come to be?
• HOW did Jesus come?
Jesus is not the one who condemns or denounces or reviles a person…
Instead He is the One who saves, the One who redeems and the One who atones.
Have I accepted Jesus as the Saviour of my life…
… or is He just some great teacher or just a wonderful philosopher or even just a great Man?
Do I grow in my conviction that the “WHO” of Jesus primarily consists in Him wanting to save me from my sin, and wanting me to lead a holy and sanctified life, so that I can belong to Him completely?
Am I keen in listening to the words of Jesus, that He speaks to me, especially through His Holy Word in the Bible?
Do I seek to live and base my life on these Words and teachings that the Lord speaks to me?
The Lord, who is the light of the World, came to the world so that all may share in His Life, His Eternal Life.
Am I fixated in the mundane pleasures and transitory luxuries of the world, and giving no heed to the spiritual side of my life?
Do I orient my life towards to the higher aspects of life, gazing heavenward, and preparing my spiritual life to be worthy of eternal life?
He came to sanctify and redeem our world.
At Incarnation, Jesus descends to our world… sinful, corrupt and prone to evil tendencies.
He does not abandon this world…
He does not give up on any of us…
He does not forsake us in our misery…
Do I make space for Jesus to enter into my world, even if I am aware that I am sinful or prone to bad habits or constantly falling into failures?
Am I willing to accept the transformations that will be demanded of me, when Jesus descends into the realms of my life, and exhorts me to be walking with Him on His way of the Cross?
Jesus, the Son, is the visible image of God, the Father.
With the Father, He has existed from all ages, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
He is the Lord who is unchanging.
He is the Lord who is all-knowing and all-loving.
He is the Lord who has the complete control over my life.
Do I possess the faith to be firm in my trust in the Holy Providence, knowing the Jesus knows everything, especially in my moments of hardships and trials?
Am I reflecting the image of God in my life, just as Jesus reflected the image of His Heavenly Father, knowing that this is possibly only by being in close union with the Lord, in devotion and discipleship?
Jesus came to the darkness of our world, by being the Light.
All His teachings radiate with truth
All His deeds shine with holiness
Am I firm in my principles and values to hold on to the teachings and commandments that the Lord, lovingly invites me to live?
Am I courageous to be the shining light even when many forces of darkness around me, try to put off this holy radiance of the Lord?
When we offer ourselves wholly to the Lord, His Spirit will lead us and guide us…
… just as we see in the Acts of the Apostles
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said:
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2-3)
Let us orient our lives more and more to the Lord…
… and seek to live a life that is intimately more connected to Him!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST
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.”
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.
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,” 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.
Forming “as it were, one mystical person” with Christ the head, the Church acts in the sacraments as “an organically structured priestly community.”
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. (CCC # 1117-1118)
(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)
MAY 0️⃣9️⃣ – Mary, Virgin most prudent
💭 To Reflect
Mary always lived in prudence by being sensitive to the needs, and discerning – with humility and trust – what is good in the eyes of God.
✅ To Practise
Always choosing what is right, in the eyes of God!
🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may practise the virtue of prudence, by living in accordance with what is right and just, Amen!
“Seeking to come away from the ‘season of winter’ and being warm and enthusiastic in the love of the Lord by receiving the touch of the Divine!”
(Based on Acts 11:19-26 and Jn 10:22-30 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Easter)
In many parts of the world, it is now summer!
The effects of global warming are being clearly experienced in many of the countries…
…with increased temperatures
… unusual climatic changes
But it’s pretty interesting to note, that even though externally, the climate is warm…
… there could be many areas in our life… which remain cold!
Isn’t it?
Perhaps….
… we are experiencing a “coldness” in many of our relationships
… there is a sense of a “cold wave” in our work-places, studies or in our undertakings and activities
We need the “tender touch” of our Blessed Lord to “warm” our “cold hearts” …
… and in order to come to experience “abundance of life” in Him!
The Gospel of the Day presents the dimension of “coldness” that was experienced by the people, who encountered Jesus, in accepting Him as the Lord of Life.
The Gospel passage begins with St John giving a dual-context in the encounter between Jesus and the people…
The religious atmosphere of the time: “The Feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem” (Jn 10: 22a)
The physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn 10:22b)
The Feast of Dedication was also called Hanukkah.
This feast celebrated the liberation of the city of Jerusalem from Antiochus, the Syrian King.
This King had desecrated the Jerusalem Temple by building an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs on the Temple Altar.
The Feast of Dedication celebrates the day that Israel regained control of the temple and re-consecrated it to the one true God!
However, it is to be noted that though year after year, they gathered to celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple…
… their hearts were, perhaps, still far from God Yahweh!
… their lives were, perhaps, still, yet to be in accordance with the Will of God!
This is what St John, the Evangelist, points to when he speaks of the physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn10:22b)
This statement was not just about the weather or the season of the year
He was describing “a season of life… a season of faith!”
It was his style of diagnosing the interior condition of the “Faith of the People” who had come for the Feast of the Dedication!
Many of the people of Israel, were in a season of “winter”…
…”cold” in their hearts: to accept the person of Jesus – the One Who had inaugurated the Kingdom of God, going about doing a lot of works of salvation and healing!
… “cold” in their minds: to accept the teachings of Jesus – the One Who was exhorting them to live God’s commandments not just externally, but with the sincerity of the heart!
… “cold” in their lives: to accept the challenge of Jesus – the One Who was convicting them of their sinfulness and inviting them to a life of repentance and holiness!
It was this being in a “season of winter” that prompted them to ask Jesus with a sense of apathy and irritation: “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (Jn 10: 24)
“Tell us plainly” was the utterance of a frozen people…
… who had “winter” in their hearts and their minds
… who were “cold” and had begun to take their faith for granted
… who were “frozen” and were merely satisfied with external dedication of the Temple, without an inner renewal of the heart!
We need to examine our lives and check….
… Am I also a “frozen person?”
Am I also, in a “season of winter”?
… Is my relationship with the Lord, a mere utterance of the lips and fails to affect my daily living?
… Is my practice of devotion and my participation in the liturgy and sacraments, a plain ritualistic and a routine custom, without making me to truly enter into intimacy with the Lord?
… Is my life of faith, just an ordinary and lethargic one, taking the grace and blessing of the Lord for granted, and not wanting to make efforts to grow in the love of the Lord and neighbour?
The Lord gives us the one straight answer: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow Me” (Jn 10: 27)
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles gives us the beautiful example of Barnabas – who lent his ears to the Lord and thus could be an agent of the Lord’s Power and Love
“When Barnabas came and saw the Grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord!” (Acts 11: 23-24)
When we offer our Lord our entire life –our heart and mind wholly– we become a contagious witness of His Resurrection and a powerful messenger of His Love
Let us dedicate not just our externalities to the Lord…
… but much more our internalities – our hearts, minds and lives to His Providence
Let us seek to come away from the “Season of Winter”….
… be warm in the love of the Lord
… be enthusiastic, receiving the touch of the Divine
… be ardent, to seek, hear and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST
“Adhering to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, to the apostolic traditions, and to the consensus… of the Fathers,” we profess that “the sacraments of the new law were… all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jesus’ words and actions during his hidden life and public ministry were already salvific, for they anticipated the power of his Paschal mystery.
They announced and prepared what he was going to give the Church when all was accomplished. >> The mysteries of Christ’s life are the foundations of what he would henceforth dispense in the sacraments, through the ministers of his Church, for “what was visible in our Saviour has passed over into His mysteries.”
Sacraments are “powers that comes forth” from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving.
They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church.
They are “the masterworks of God” in the new and everlasting covenant. (CCC # 1114-1116)
Reflection Capsules 