St Francis de Sales - Christian Unity

2nd Thursday 24 January 2013  - Unity Octave - St Francis de Sales

Day 7: walking in solidarity. (Micah 6: 6-8)

   The prophet Micah declares the theme of this year's week of prayer for Christian Unity.

   "The Lord has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

   To walk humbly with God means walking in solidarity with all who struggle for justice and peace.

   The Lord Jesus calls and empowers the Church to share the suffering of all. He wants us to care for the poor, the needy and the marginalised.

   Such is implicit in our prayer for Christian unity this week.

St Francis de Sales prayed and worked, earnestly and tenderly, to bring all Christians in his diocese into one fold.

Father, Free us from all our prejudices. Inflame our hearts with a burning love for you and for the human family through Christ our Lord.

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2   Thursday (January 24): "You are the Son of God"

Scripture: Mark 3:7-12

Meditation: Is there anything holding you back from giving yourself unreservedly to God? Jesus offered freedom from oppression to everyone who sought him out. Wherever Jesus went, the people came to him because they had heard all the great things he had done. They were hungry for God and desired healing from their afflictions. In faith, they pressed upon Jesus to touch him. As they did so, power came from Jesus and they were healed. Even demons trembled in the presence of Jesus and acknowledged his true identity: You are the Son of God. When you hear God's word and consider all that Jesus did, how do you respond? With doubt or with expectant faith? With scepticism or with confident expectation? Ask the Lord to increase your faith in his saving power and grace.

 

Nativity of Our Lady

Nativity of Our Lady –

Thursday (Sept 8):

"She will bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus"

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23  (alternate reading: Luke 6:20-26)

     There is a tradition of Christians  celebrating the birth of Mary on this day. Her birth prepared for our redemption in Jesus Christ. Mary was asked to assume in faith a tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust.

     Second, Mary was not yet married. Mary was only espoused to Joseph. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without a revelation from God. She believed and trusted in God's promises. Let us trust and obey the Lord as did Mary.

Bidding Prayer:

    Father, bring us closer to our Mother Mary and so bring us ever closer to your divine Son.

   We ask this through the same Christ our Lord.               http://www.dailyscripture.net/, adapted.

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There is a long venerable tradition among many Christians of celebrating the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus our Saviour, on this day. Her birth prepared for our redemption in Jesus Christ. Matthew begins his gospel with the geneology of Jesus from Abraham's lineage through the line of David, King of Israel. Matthew concludes his geneology by stating that both Mary, Jesus' mother and Joseph, his foster father, came from the line of David. Mary was asked to assume in faith a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises. Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, believed the message given to him to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you willing to trust and obey the Lord as Mary and Joseph did?

Jesus speaks with authority

Daily Reading & Meditation

Tuesday (August 30):

"His word was with authority"

Scripture: Luke 4:31-37

When Jesus taught he spoke with authority. He was authority incarnate. He was the Word of God made flesh. When he spoke, God spoke. When he commanded even the demons obeyed.

If demons, the fallen angels, believe in the power and authority of the Son of God, how much more should we believe in the power and authority of the gospel. We believe in the good news of Jesus Christ with the full assent of our minds and hearts. We entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ?

If we approach God's word submissively, with an eagerness to do everything the Lord desires, we are in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach us through his word.

Father, your word is power and life. May we never doubt your saving love and mercy, and the power of your word to bring healing, restoration, and freedom from sin and oppression, through Christ our Lord.

http://www.dailyscripture.net/

Fw: Hidden Treasure, Rare Pearl

Subject: Hidden Treasure, Rare Pearl

Daily Reading & Meditation

Wednesday (July 27):

"The heavenly treasure and the pearl of great price"

Scripture:  Matthew 13:44-46

 

Discovering God's kingdom is like stumbling across hidden treasure or finding the one pearl of great price. When we discover the kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure — the Lord himself. Selling all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure could mean many things — our friends, job, our "style of life", what we do with our free time.

Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. In this parable what does the treasure of the kingdom refer to? It certainly refers to the kingdom of God in all its aspects. But in a special way, the Lord himself, is the treasure we seek.

If the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight yourself in the Almighty (Job 22:22-23). 

 

     Father, reveal to us the true riches of your kingdom. Help us to set our hearts on you alone as the greatest and most worth-while treasure of all. We ask this through Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Free my heart of any inordinate desires or attachment to other things that I may freely give to you all that I have in joy and gratitude for all that you have given to me. May I always find joy and delight in your presence."

 

The Sign of Jonah

1 Wednesday Lent 2011

The Sign of Jonah.

In today’s Gospel, Luke 11:29-32, Jesus says: As Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. We are the men of Nin’eveh and Jesus is our Jonah. Jesus came to set us free from Pslavery to sin and hurtful desires.

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he pours his love into our hearts that we may understand his will for our lives and walk in his way of holiness. God searches our hearts, not to condemn us, but to show us where we need his saving grace and help. God will transform us if we listen to his word and allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives. May the Lord renew our minds and increase our thirst for his wisdom.

Rich man and Lazarus

2 Thursday Lent, (March 24, 2011):

"Lazarus was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom".

Gospel Reading: Luke 16:19-31.

The name Lazarus means ‘God is my help’. Despite a life of misfortune and suffering, Lazarus did not lose hope in God. His eyes were set on a treasure stored up for him in heaven.

The rich man, however, could not see beyond his material wealth and possessions. He not only had everything he needed, he selfishly spent all he had on himself. He was too absorbed in what he possessed to notice the needs of those around him. He lost sight of God and the treasure of heaven because he was preoccupied with seeking happiness in material things. He served wealth rather than God.

Sometimes we serve our work rather than the God within. In the end the rich man became a beggar! Do we know the joy and freedom of possessing God, the God within, as our true and lasting treasure? Those who put their hope and security in heaven and the God within will not be disappointed (see Hebrews 6:19)?

Lk 5:27-32 “Leave all and follow me." Lent 1st Sat.M

Fri, 11 March, 2011 16:36:57

[Dom Donald's Blog] Lk 5:27-32 “leave all and follow the Lord”

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From:	Fr Donald ... View Contact
To:	nivardmcglynn@yahoo.com

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1st Saturday Lent 2011

The call of Matthew

In today’s Gospel, Luke 5:27-32, Jesus says: “I have come to call sinners”. Matthew we overjoyed to be one of the first to answer the call. He at once gave a party to celebrate the occasion.

As sinners, like, Matthew, we can make our own the prayer of St Augustine: "Lord Jesus, our Saviour, let us now come to you. Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours, possess them always and only for yourself." (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430).

What does it mean to “leave all and follow the Lord”? Bede the Venerable, a 7th century church father comments on Matthew’s conversion to discipleship: “By ‘follow’ he meant not so much the movement of feet as of the heart, the carrying out of a way of life. For one who says that he lives in Christ ought himself to walk just as he walked, not to aim at earthly things, not to pursue perishable gains, but to flee base praise, to embrace willingly the contempt of all that is worldly for the sake of heavenly glory, to do good to all, to inflict injuries upon no one in bitterness, to suffer patiently those injuries that come to oneself, to ask God’s forgiveness for those who oppress, never to seek one’s own glory but always God’s, and to uphold whatever helps one love heavenly things. This is what is meant by following Christ. In this way, disregarding earthly gains, Matthew attached himself to the band of followers of One who had no riches. For the Lord himself, who outwardly called Matthew by a word, inwardly bestowed upon him the gift of an invisible impulse so that he was able to follow.” Are you ready to forsake all for Christ?

"Lord Jesus, our Saviour, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself." (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430)

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Posted By Fr Donald to Dom Donald's Blog on 3/11/2011 04:36:00 PM