Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples and sought letters from high priests to the synagogues in Damascus to men and women the WAY as prisoners to Jerusalem. Before reaching Damascus a bright light from heaven flashed around him that flattened him to the ground and he heard a voice, " Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?" Saul asked,"who are you Lord?." The reply, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, now get up go into the city and you will told what to do." We know the rest. Jesus works in strange ways. Even the ones who are persecuting our followers in regions around the world will have a total change of hearts. The early martyrs following Jesus shed blood that led to the foundations of the Church; and to this day blood are being shed in Somalia, Urganda, Orrisa to mentioned a few. Like Saul, they will all become Pauls one day.
Romans 12.3: For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgements in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Remember our Lord Jesus, rejected by his own tribe, scorned, tortured, dragged like a common criminal even rejected and had a criminal of the worst kind freed. But here is The Man out- classed all the princes, kings and emperors all the best armies; this solitary Man-Jesus the Lord. He was servant to all even to the extend of washing their feet.
(one)
Thus my purpose in life!!(when asked by Russel, it was stated, "your purpose in life is what you make out of it.")
But my purpose is God purpose, and that is to have me in Union with Him. I was created for eternal happiness with God in heaven and everything has to take second place. The sure guide to Heaven is God's Holy Will. One has to examine our motives in our daily words and actions and whether it pleases Him; and my pray thus"Father, grant me the wisdom to think, speak, and act each day as You want me to, as I want to live for the perfect happiness for which You created me, Amen."
(two)the purpose of created things.
Hence,events in my life; if I direct my desires according to His Will I would learn many a holy lesson from those events of daily life.
When I have become as good and unselfish as I should be, I will find it easy to understand the deeper meaning of the events that happen in daily life. Heaven and earth was created for service of man, even angels are appointed to continually serve man, and at times, if not always,, God is continually doing just that. His promise, if we do as He desires, we shall one day share with Him the perfect happiness of Heaven. How are we repaying the number favours? Instead,we fail to give Him unselfish services even for one single day. We are obligated for each breadth and second of our life. Without his continued support, nothing could please nor help me. All assistance and relief is the work of His hand. Everything and everyone in my life is a gift of God for a definite purpose. All things, not just some things, are in my life for God's good reasons. They are meant to help me earn the unending happiness and glory of Heaven.(I have to reject any person or thing that leads me away from this goal by sin.) All things are to be used wisely, that is, to help me live a good and useful life.
Thus. the good things that attract me on earth are only a tiny reflections of Your perfect attractions and goodness. The good things of earth will pass away all too soon, but you will remain forever. Thus Lord, grant we the glorious favor of pleasing You on earth and loving You in Heaven.Amen.
3)Remember- a Right Intention in All Things- i.e. Our Creator expects us to have a supernatural purpose in whatever we think,do, or say; whether we seek to avoid hell, diminish our purgatory, and gain Haven, such motives are supernatural; and therefore are right intentions. At times we are unaware of our motives, but as long as we are not in mortal sin and our action agree with His law, that is considered a right intention. And whenever we do something simply to please Him, this intention of mine is higher than if I think of my own advantage, no matter whatever is the degree of my Right intention as long as it seaks to fulfill His Will. Regardless of feeling, moods, prejudices or preferences, strive to maintain a right intention; if my natural desires contradicts His Will,I check them as I would check any other foolish intention.. Do not let life's daily events disturb nor affects you too much. Seek to know His will and to accept it in all things. With this pure intention, we will have a deeper interior peace. " This is My gift to those who let Me govern their lives". Remember our intention tends to become dim as the day proceeds with our daily occupations; as is influenced more by pleasure or self-satisfaction. Do offer each activity and avoids anything which might lead you to sin. From time to time ponder on your heavenly goal. Let nothing great, nothing high, nothing pleasant, nothing acceptable to you unless it helps you to follow His Will. One who truly loves the Lord, hates everything that holds him back from Him, the eternal, infinite God. the Perfect Joy of the Soul that can bring true peace and unending happiness to my heart. Think - where are the pleasures and joys of last year? Gone and forgotten, but my good intentions good works are in the book of Remembrance(Malachi 3:13).
Therefore for this grace: Lord, what you say is True; grant that I may follow Your words in my daily life; while your truth teaches me it shall guide and also protect me. Let me esteem noting as great, or valuable, or wonderful except insofar as it makes me better and pleasing in Your eyes; so as not be slave to this earth, but shall walk daily towards Heaven with holy freedom of Heart. AMEN.
Holy indifference - Yes, let God do with us as He pleases for He certainly knows best. We being humans, our judgements are often influenced by feelings moods or prejudices. Thus intentionally witholding whole-hearted attention and loyalty from Him is risky business. He alone will always know what is best for me (especially He created me to undertake a special cause). Even before we ask He knows our every needs. For some reason I feel I am wading in "spititual darkness" of doubts and confusion. Joys one day but find life hard and sorrowful. If I could only bring myself to accept that through all these changing conditions God 's hand will always be leading me towards heaven. I need to say Yes in all things and be ready to experience suffering as to have joy, just to be poor and needy as to be well off. Preferring His will amount to preferring the Perfect Wisdom and the Highest Good.
Remember - God created me for the perfect life o Heaven. So whatever He sends me is sent with this goal in view. Some issues are within my control and can be remedied while others are beyond, but as long as I have done my best, I should accept the result as God's Will for me. Whateaver situation I am in God know and if He accept I have to accept that is good for my soul.
Pray - Grant me the grace to equally willing to receive the sweet and the bitter, the joy and the sorow, and the grace to be able to thank you for whatever You decide to send me, only keep me from sin and I shall never fear death of hell even to the extent to know whateve suffering comes to me will not hurt me for long. AMEN
Lookin away from God: Whatever does not help you to please me, has no value in life: say the Lord.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Romans.
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be a apostle and to set apart for the gospel-the gospel promised beforehand through his prophets, in the Holy Scriptures, regarding his Son......and by his resurrection fro the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his namesake we received grace and apostleship to call people among all Gentile to the obedience that comes from faith. " Thus, we too are also among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, of the Jews and of Gentiles. ( for in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed), a righteousness that is by faith.:"The righteous will live by faith."
God's righteous Judgement. Now, we know that God's judgment against those who do such evil things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgement on them and yet do the same things do you think you will escape God's judgement? Or do you show contemp for the richness of kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you towards repentance?
Of Jew's and Law. a man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outwardly and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
4+ Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from work; "blessed are they who transgressions are forgiven, whose sin are covered. Blessed is the man who sin the Lord will never count against him".
EPHESIANS @ 2:13-18. Here the author declared former enemies were now friends; for in Christ, the prejudice that separated Gentile from Jews no longer held sway. Indeed, the Church is the place to overcome prejudice. All are invited to the assembly of the saved. To answer this prejudice, the author made an astounding claim. The death of Christ abolished the Law, with its ordinances and the decrees made by scribes. In other words, Jesus' death away the legitimacy of "kosher." God no longer desired a unique nationality. He wanted those who followed Christ. For in Christ, the prejudice caused by the wall of religious and national purity was wiped away. The former enemies were now one in the Lord. For they shared the same Spirit.
Romans:3:21-30. For those who believes in Jesus Christ God's justice that was made know to the Law and the Prophets is prevailed and is the same justice that comes through faith. The faith the God who created us of love and punishes us through justice is the God that through His mercy redeemed us with the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this way God makes his justice known : first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand, then for the present age, by showing positively that he is just, and that he punishes those who does wrong that believes in Christ. Paul says this God is for everyone. Thus with the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption; for with love He created and in justice He condemned us but with mercy He redeemed us through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Again in Romans 4:1-8 Paul says,"Abraham put his faith in the God, and this faith was considered as justifying him. If a man has work to show, his wages are not considered as a favour but as his due; but when a man has nothing to show except faith in the one who justifies sinners, then his faith is considered as justifying him. And David says the same: a man is happy if God considers him righteous, irrespective of good deeds. Thus: Happy those whose crimes are forgiven, whose sins are blotted out; Happy the man whom the Lord considers sinless.
FAITH is the cornerstone of our inheritance. The promise of inheritance was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in FAITH. That is why what fulfils the the promise depends on FAITH, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham's descendants, not only those belongs to the Law but also those who belongs to the FAITH of Abraham who it the father of all of us( I have made you the ancestor of many nations). Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he puts His faith, and who brings the dead to life and call into BEING who does not exist. Though it seemed Abraham's hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised.
In Romans 4:20-25,we read that since God has made him a promise. Abraham therefore refused to either deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from FAITH and gave glory to God, convinced that God has power to do what he had promised. This is the FAITH that was "considered as justifying him" but it did not stopped there but it referred to us as well; our FAITH too will be "considered" if we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead because by his resurrection he justify us
In Ephesian:2.8-9. "It is by His grace you have been saved, through Faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by your works, so that no one can boast.
- the greatest gift we have received has nothing to do with our efforts. It is a gift from God.
We did not earn it, purchase it or work for it.
St.Paul's 2nd letters to the Corinthins.
10th Week - Oridinary Time Yr.C
*God comforts us so that we can offer others consolations in their sorrows(1:1-7)
sharing our sufferings, you will also share our consolations..
*Jesus was never Yes and NO: with Him it was always Yes.(That's is why it is always "Through Him and we answer Amen.)
*God is the one who has given us the qualifications to be administrators of the New Covenant, which is not a covenant of written letters but of the Spirit(3:4-11).
*God has shone in our minds to radiate the light of knowledge of God's glory.(3:15).
Whenever Moses is read, the veil is over te minds of the Israelites. It will not be removed until they turn to the Lord who is the Spirit and where the Spirit is the Lord is.
*He who raised Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn and sit us by his side and you with us.
We are in difficulties on all sides but never conered.
We see no answer to our problems, but never despair.
We have been persecuted, but never deserted.
Knocked down but never killed.
*For our sake God made the sinless one to sin. We are mbassodors for Christ, it is as through God were appealing to through us.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, of the Jews and of Gentiles. ( for in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed), a righteousness that is by faith.:"The righteous will live by faith."
God's righteous Judgement. Now, we know that God's judgment against those who do such evil things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgement on them and yet do the same things do you think you will escape God's judgement? Or do you show contemp for the richness of kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you towards repentance?
Of Jew's and Law. a man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outwardly and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
4+ Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from work; "blessed are they who transgressions are forgiven, whose sin are covered. Blessed is the man who sin the Lord will never count against him".
EPHESIANS @ 2:13-18. Here the author declared former enemies were now friends; for in Christ, the prejudice that separated Gentile from Jews no longer held sway. Indeed, the Church is the place to overcome prejudice. All are invited to the assembly of the saved. To answer this prejudice, the author made an astounding claim. The death of Christ abolished the Law, with its ordinances and the decrees made by scribes. In other words, Jesus' death away the legitimacy of "kosher." God no longer desired a unique nationality. He wanted those who followed Christ. For in Christ, the prejudice caused by the wall of religious and national purity was wiped away. The former enemies were now one in the Lord. For they shared the same Spirit.
Romans:3:21-30. For those who believes in Jesus Christ God's justice that was made know to the Law and the Prophets is prevailed and is the same justice that comes through faith. The faith the God who created us of love and punishes us through justice is the God that through His mercy redeemed us with the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this way God makes his justice known : first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand, then for the present age, by showing positively that he is just, and that he punishes those who does wrong that believes in Christ. Paul says this God is for everyone. Thus with the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption; for with love He created and in justice He condemned us but with mercy He redeemed us through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Again in Romans 4:1-8 Paul says,"Abraham put his faith in the God, and this faith was considered as justifying him. If a man has work to show, his wages are not considered as a favour but as his due; but when a man has nothing to show except faith in the one who justifies sinners, then his faith is considered as justifying him. And David says the same: a man is happy if God considers him righteous, irrespective of good deeds. Thus: Happy those whose crimes are forgiven, whose sins are blotted out; Happy the man whom the Lord considers sinless.
FAITH is the cornerstone of our inheritance. The promise of inheritance was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in FAITH. That is why what fulfils the the promise depends on FAITH, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham's descendants, not only those belongs to the Law but also those who belongs to the FAITH of Abraham who it the father of all of us( I have made you the ancestor of many nations). Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he puts His faith, and who brings the dead to life and call into BEING who does not exist. Though it seemed Abraham's hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised.
In Romans 4:20-25,we read that since God has made him a promise. Abraham therefore refused to either deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from FAITH and gave glory to God, convinced that God has power to do what he had promised. This is the FAITH that was "considered as justifying him" but it did not stopped there but it referred to us as well; our FAITH too will be "considered" if we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead because by his resurrection he justify us
In Ephesian:2.8-9. "It is by His grace you have been saved, through Faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by your works, so that no one can boast.
- the greatest gift we have received has nothing to do with our efforts. It is a gift from God.
We did not earn it, purchase it or work for it.
St.Paul's 2nd letters to the Corinthins.
10th Week - Oridinary Time Yr.C
*God comforts us so that we can offer others consolations in their sorrows(1:1-7)
sharing our sufferings, you will also share our consolations..
*Jesus was never Yes and NO: with Him it was always Yes.(That's is why it is always "Through Him and we answer Amen.)
*God is the one who has given us the qualifications to be administrators of the New Covenant, which is not a covenant of written letters but of the Spirit(3:4-11).
*God has shone in our minds to radiate the light of knowledge of God's glory.(3:15).
Whenever Moses is read, the veil is over te minds of the Israelites. It will not be removed until they turn to the Lord who is the Spirit and where the Spirit is the Lord is.
*He who raised Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn and sit us by his side and you with us.
We are in difficulties on all sides but never conered.
We see no answer to our problems, but never despair.
We have been persecuted, but never deserted.
Knocked down but never killed.
*For our sake God made the sinless one to sin. We are mbassodors for Christ, it is as through God were appealing to through us.
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