God’s not judging you based on physical conditions. He’s looking at your heart. He’s looking at the gifts He’s placed inside of you.
Friday in the Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 15:22-31
Psalm 57:8-9, 10+12
John 15:12-17 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 This I command you, to love one another.
Meditation by Janine ter Kuile
When you were a child, did you hear the old saying… “for the love of God!”? Today’s Gospel opens and closes with the command, “Love one another”. Obviously that is the theme. Jesus gave His life to friends and non-friends alike. Not something many of us know much about. His was a sacrificial love few of us understand. In other words, modern-day LOVE takes on an ephemeral quality, something written about in songs for young lovers, romantic melodies to slow-dance to, not one tied to reality.
So what is ‘for the love of God’? Google says, ‘sacrificial love is self-sacrifice with the pure motivation to alleviate the suffering of others. This supreme love is suffering love, love that requires involvement in the knotty problems of the world, love that bears with the failings and weaknesses of others, love that is committed to helping others regardless of the cost’. An experience that brought me closer to this, were the years I spent working with African youth refugees, here in Omaha . Out of the blue one day, the deacon at my church said, “You are a saint”, to which I interpreted him to mean, ‘You are crazy!’ Yet I was crazy in love about these people! I knew God so loved me to open that door.
The other day I rushed to the hospital after learning my daughter had had a seizure. That evening I suffered my love for her, not knowing if this would happen again. Strangely I felt I was sacrificing her at the altar, and I recognized my love for her deepened in a new way. We’ve all experienced that kind of love.
I also feel love when I am with people who suffer in a way I don’t understand. When I travel to Congo this summer, I will come face to face with women who suffer unimaginable atrocities. Just thinking about them puts me in a place that calls to sharing in Jesus’ divine life. When He said, “I have told you everything I have heard from my Father”, He alludes to the very nature of God. As He reveals His Father, He shows us a loving community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is an intimacy, so loving, we can never know the depths of God’s love, His Son, until we meet Him face to face.
Creighton educators, Vasant and Prafulla Raval share in their newly published book ‘Finding Soul in Work and Life’, ‘that you only need to develop the power of self-observation to comprehend the cause of suffering of both self and others. Beware, it is a painful exercise initially. It will require sacrifices.
Supplementary Reading
Free for All
"…God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right" - Acts 10:34-35
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom–and God's freedom is free for everyone! It doesn't matter what your nationality or heritage is, or who your family is. It doesn't matter how much money you have or don't have; God wants you free from everything that would hold you back from your relationship with Him!
God wants to pour out His abundant blessing on all who honor Him and do what is right. In fact, the Bible says in Galatians that in Christ, there is no Jew or Greek or even male or female. That means God’s not judging you based on physical conditions. He’s looking at your heart. He’s looking at the gifts He’s placed inside of you.
Don't let the enemy lie to you and tell you that God is blessing everyone else but you. Look for the ways He is pouring out blessing in your life. Thank Him for His acceptance, love and freedom. Focus on honoring Him and doing what is right, and you'll see His hand of blessing in every area of your life!
Father in heaven, thank You for loving and accepting me today. I choose to do what is right and honor You with my attitude, words and actions. Holy Spirit, show me if there is any area that isn’t pleasing to You and help me live as an example of Your goodness all the days of my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
May 6, 2010 - Thursday Meditation (Holy Spirit Guided Voice...)
We each have a voice – however small – in the disputes of our day. I pray that mine will be a Spirit-guided voice. Pentecost, soon upon us, is not just an historical remembrance, but an ongoing reality. Veni, sancte spiritu. Come, Holy Spirit!
Thursday in the Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 15:7-21
Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10
John 15:9-11 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Meditation by Robert P. Heaney
The late Fr. Raymond Brown, S.S., described the meeting in Jerusalem that is the subject of today’s first reading as perhaps the most important in the entire history of the church. Hanging in the balance was whether Christianity would be a sect of Judaism or the world religion which it has become. At stake also was maintaining the fragile communion of the Jewish and Gentile Christians. That this unity was crucial is highlighted by today’s Gospel reading, which is a part of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper. His plea was that His disciples would be one as He and the Father were one. (As is often the case in the Easter season, the Gospel from John interprets for us the underlying dynamic of the narrative set forth in Acts.)
Maintaining community was not an easy task as we see from the unfolding of the story from Acts (and Paul’s own version in his letter to the Galatians). Is this episode just an interesting historical vignette, or are there lessons here for us?
The question was whether you had to be a Jew first before you could be a Christian, that is, be circumcised and adhere to all of the provisions of the Mosaic law. Surely that is no longer a pressing issue. What is pertinent is that the resolution on this disagreement had to be handled in a human way – by discussion and argument, by trial and error, by experience and good will. There was no crystal clear blueprint provided by Jesus to guide the early church through this crisis – just the assurance that He would give them His Spirit to help them work things out – an assurance on which we can count today as well.
There would have been four voices in this debate. One, of course, was Paul, insisting that one could be Christian without first becoming a Jew. Paul brought along Titus as exhibit A. Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile, but plainly Christian, and one in whom the spirit was active. It would have been hard for Paul’s opponents to say to Titus’ face that he wasn’t a “true” Christian, a “real” Christian.
A second voice was Peter, recalling a similar experience he had had with the Roman centurion Cornelius, in whom Peter too had experienced the spirit at work (Acts Ch. 10). Then James, the head of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem , chimed in that the law had, indeed, allowed Gentiles and Jews to live together in community, with only a few restrictions on what the Gentiles could do.
Missing altogether from Luke’s account is the fourth voice – those who maintained that you had to be a Jew first (converts from the Pharisees according to Luke). Fr. Brown suggests that their argument would have been: “Jesus didn’t admit Gentiles into the company of His disciples. Therefore we can’t either.” Fortunately, that position did not prevail. But how many times have we heard that same argument articulated in the ensuing centuries?
Jesus didn’t experience the circumstances of subsequent ages and thus He had no way to model our response for us. That’s why He gave the church His Spirit, why He still gives us that Spirit today. We’re still learning how to be church, and we will have to continue to learn until God finally establishes His kingdom in our renewed creation. We each have a voice – however small – in the disputes of our day. I pray that mine will be a Spirit-guided voice. Pentecost, soon upon us, is not just an historical remembrance, but an ongoing reality. Veni, sancte spiritu. Come, Holy Spirit!
Supplementary Reading
He's Working in You
"…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" - Philippians 1:6
Sometimes when God is doing a work in our lives, things can get a little uncomfortable. We may encounter people who are hard to get along with or have circumstances that seem beyond our control. When this happens, instead of complaining, getting sour, or trying to change everything around you, why don't you look deep inside and say, "Lord, thank You for doing a work in me." See, I've learned that God is more interested in changing me than He is in changing my circumstances. If I choose to stay sour because I'm not getting my way or discouraged because things aren't happening on my time table, that's going to keep me right where I am.
If you want to see change, if you want to see God open up new doors, the key is to bloom right where you're planted. You can't wait until everything gets better before you decide to have a good attitude. You have to be the best that you can be right where you are. When you bloom where you're planted, you're allowing God to work in you, and He will be faithful to complete what He's started in you!
Father God, thank You for doing a work in me. I choose to align myself with Your plan by blooming where I'm planted. Help me, by Your Spirit, to be an example of Your love and life everywhere I go. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Thursday in the Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 15:7-21
Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10
John 15:9-11 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Meditation by Robert P. Heaney
The late Fr. Raymond Brown, S.S., described the meeting in Jerusalem that is the subject of today’s first reading as perhaps the most important in the entire history of the church. Hanging in the balance was whether Christianity would be a sect of Judaism or the world religion which it has become. At stake also was maintaining the fragile communion of the Jewish and Gentile Christians. That this unity was crucial is highlighted by today’s Gospel reading, which is a part of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper. His plea was that His disciples would be one as He and the Father were one. (As is often the case in the Easter season, the Gospel from John interprets for us the underlying dynamic of the narrative set forth in Acts.)
Maintaining community was not an easy task as we see from the unfolding of the story from Acts (and Paul’s own version in his letter to the Galatians). Is this episode just an interesting historical vignette, or are there lessons here for us?
The question was whether you had to be a Jew first before you could be a Christian, that is, be circumcised and adhere to all of the provisions of the Mosaic law. Surely that is no longer a pressing issue. What is pertinent is that the resolution on this disagreement had to be handled in a human way – by discussion and argument, by trial and error, by experience and good will. There was no crystal clear blueprint provided by Jesus to guide the early church through this crisis – just the assurance that He would give them His Spirit to help them work things out – an assurance on which we can count today as well.
There would have been four voices in this debate. One, of course, was Paul, insisting that one could be Christian without first becoming a Jew. Paul brought along Titus as exhibit A. Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile, but plainly Christian, and one in whom the spirit was active. It would have been hard for Paul’s opponents to say to Titus’ face that he wasn’t a “true” Christian, a “real” Christian.
A second voice was Peter, recalling a similar experience he had had with the Roman centurion Cornelius, in whom Peter too had experienced the spirit at work (Acts Ch. 10). Then James, the head of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem , chimed in that the law had, indeed, allowed Gentiles and Jews to live together in community, with only a few restrictions on what the Gentiles could do.
Missing altogether from Luke’s account is the fourth voice – those who maintained that you had to be a Jew first (converts from the Pharisees according to Luke). Fr. Brown suggests that their argument would have been: “Jesus didn’t admit Gentiles into the company of His disciples. Therefore we can’t either.” Fortunately, that position did not prevail. But how many times have we heard that same argument articulated in the ensuing centuries?
Jesus didn’t experience the circumstances of subsequent ages and thus He had no way to model our response for us. That’s why He gave the church His Spirit, why He still gives us that Spirit today. We’re still learning how to be church, and we will have to continue to learn until God finally establishes His kingdom in our renewed creation. We each have a voice – however small – in the disputes of our day. I pray that mine will be a Spirit-guided voice. Pentecost, soon upon us, is not just an historical remembrance, but an ongoing reality. Veni, sancte spiritu. Come, Holy Spirit!
Supplementary Reading
He's Working in You
"…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" - Philippians 1:6
Sometimes when God is doing a work in our lives, things can get a little uncomfortable. We may encounter people who are hard to get along with or have circumstances that seem beyond our control. When this happens, instead of complaining, getting sour, or trying to change everything around you, why don't you look deep inside and say, "Lord, thank You for doing a work in me." See, I've learned that God is more interested in changing me than He is in changing my circumstances. If I choose to stay sour because I'm not getting my way or discouraged because things aren't happening on my time table, that's going to keep me right where I am.
If you want to see change, if you want to see God open up new doors, the key is to bloom right where you're planted. You can't wait until everything gets better before you decide to have a good attitude. You have to be the best that you can be right where you are. When you bloom where you're planted, you're allowing God to work in you, and He will be faithful to complete what He's started in you!
Father God, thank You for doing a work in me. I choose to align myself with Your plan by blooming where I'm planted. Help me, by Your Spirit, to be an example of Your love and life everywhere I go. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
May 5, 2010 - Wednesday Meditation (Be Willing to be Pruned!)
Pruning hurts but the alternative is to be cast into the fire. Outside of Jesus, we can do nothing for Jesus is the true vine.
Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 15:1-6
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
Meditation by George Butterfield
The first reading is a reminder of how much has changed since the beginning of the Church. Today, who would think that a person must become a Jewish convert before becoming a Christian? Yet that is what a number of Jewish Christians believed and that is what they taught to the Gentile converts. At first there was a question as to whether or not Gentiles could be saved under any circumstances. That issue was settled when God called Peter to visit Cornelius. So now the only issue was, How are they saved? Is it through faith in Jesus Christ and following his teachings? Or is it through faith in Jesus, following his teachings, circumcision, and keeping the Mosaic law? Today this teaching would not likely create dissension and debate but probably just cause the hearers to wonder what planet the person had been living on. In the first century it was a real issue and required a trip to Jerusalem to settle the matter. This first reading is only an introduction to what has come to be known as the Jerusalem Council which wrestled with this question. In the meantime, the text emphasizes that, even in the midst of this controversy, there was great rejoicing that the Gentiles were coming to believe in Jesus and embrace this way of life.
The responsorial psalm calls the worshiper to go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. The tribes go up to Jerusalem to give thanks to the name of the Lord. The psalmist rejoices simply because someone said, “Let’s go up to the house of the Lord.” What wonder fills his heart! Our feet are within your gates, O Jerusalem! I could never really understand this until Saturday, April 10, 2010. I am a permanently professed domestic member of the Brothers & Sisters of Charity. Our motherhouse, the Little Portion Monastery, is located outside of Eureka Springs , Arkansas . We have domestic members who live around the world. Two years ago Charity Chapel, the common center, library, dining areas, everything but the homes of the monastic members, burned to the ground. It was in Charity Chapel that I experienced my first Mass. It was there I became a Novice and then made my Temporary and Permanent professions. It was there that I was always greeted with “Welcome home, brother.” I rejoiced when I heard them say, “Let us go to the Little Portion Monastery.” Then it was all gone. Yet, rising from the ashes, Charity Chapel was rebuilt and finally dedicated by Bishop Anthony of Little Rock on April 10th. Only then could I understand the joy of simply having my feet within that church. “Our feet are within your gates, O Jerusalem.” What wonder! What awe! Holy ground!
In the Gospel Jesus tells how we become his disciples: we remain in him even as his words remain in us. When Jesus’ word remains in our heart, then we bear fruit. If we do not bear fruit, we are removed from the vine, from Jesus. If we do bear fruit, the Father prunes us so that we bear even more. Pruning hurts but the alternative is to be cast into the fire. Outside of Jesus, we can do nothing for Jesus is the true vine. Abiding in Jesus we can ask for anything and it will be done for us. Hold on to Jesus, brothers and sisters, even as he holds on to us. If we do this, the Father will be glorified, we will bear much fruit and, by his grace, become his disciples.
Supplementary Meditation
Stay above Strife
"Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out" - Proverbs 17:14
Too often, people fall into the trap of strife. Someone says something that rubs you the wrong way, and before you know it, there is tension, quarreling, and division. The Bible tells us that strife opens the door to "every evil work." It's the enemy's greatest trap to keep people from living in victory. But you don't have to fall into the trap of strife, you can rise above it. Like today's verse says, you can simply drop the matter before it turns into something bigger than it needs to. You don't have to sink down to somebody's level and argue with them and try to prove that you're right. You weren't put on this earth to correct everybody around you.
If you are going to be all that God's called you to be, you have to learn to stay above strife. Instead of letting disagreements pull your relationships apart, look for common ground to draw you closer to the people in your life. Look for peace. Look for ways to be a blessing. Stay above strife so you can enjoy your relationships and experience the blessing He has for you!
Heavenly Father, I choose to stay above strife. I choose to honor You by seeking peace in my relationships. Empower me to walk in love and be a blessing everywhere I go. In Jesus' Name. Amen (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 15:1-6
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
Meditation by George Butterfield
The first reading is a reminder of how much has changed since the beginning of the Church. Today, who would think that a person must become a Jewish convert before becoming a Christian? Yet that is what a number of Jewish Christians believed and that is what they taught to the Gentile converts. At first there was a question as to whether or not Gentiles could be saved under any circumstances. That issue was settled when God called Peter to visit Cornelius. So now the only issue was, How are they saved? Is it through faith in Jesus Christ and following his teachings? Or is it through faith in Jesus, following his teachings, circumcision, and keeping the Mosaic law? Today this teaching would not likely create dissension and debate but probably just cause the hearers to wonder what planet the person had been living on. In the first century it was a real issue and required a trip to Jerusalem to settle the matter. This first reading is only an introduction to what has come to be known as the Jerusalem Council which wrestled with this question. In the meantime, the text emphasizes that, even in the midst of this controversy, there was great rejoicing that the Gentiles were coming to believe in Jesus and embrace this way of life.
The responsorial psalm calls the worshiper to go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. The tribes go up to Jerusalem to give thanks to the name of the Lord. The psalmist rejoices simply because someone said, “Let’s go up to the house of the Lord.” What wonder fills his heart! Our feet are within your gates, O Jerusalem! I could never really understand this until Saturday, April 10, 2010. I am a permanently professed domestic member of the Brothers & Sisters of Charity. Our motherhouse, the Little Portion Monastery, is located outside of Eureka Springs , Arkansas . We have domestic members who live around the world. Two years ago Charity Chapel, the common center, library, dining areas, everything but the homes of the monastic members, burned to the ground. It was in Charity Chapel that I experienced my first Mass. It was there I became a Novice and then made my Temporary and Permanent professions. It was there that I was always greeted with “Welcome home, brother.” I rejoiced when I heard them say, “Let us go to the Little Portion Monastery.” Then it was all gone. Yet, rising from the ashes, Charity Chapel was rebuilt and finally dedicated by Bishop Anthony of Little Rock on April 10th. Only then could I understand the joy of simply having my feet within that church. “Our feet are within your gates, O Jerusalem.” What wonder! What awe! Holy ground!
In the Gospel Jesus tells how we become his disciples: we remain in him even as his words remain in us. When Jesus’ word remains in our heart, then we bear fruit. If we do not bear fruit, we are removed from the vine, from Jesus. If we do bear fruit, the Father prunes us so that we bear even more. Pruning hurts but the alternative is to be cast into the fire. Outside of Jesus, we can do nothing for Jesus is the true vine. Abiding in Jesus we can ask for anything and it will be done for us. Hold on to Jesus, brothers and sisters, even as he holds on to us. If we do this, the Father will be glorified, we will bear much fruit and, by his grace, become his disciples.
Supplementary Meditation
Stay above Strife
"Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out" - Proverbs 17:14
Too often, people fall into the trap of strife. Someone says something that rubs you the wrong way, and before you know it, there is tension, quarreling, and division. The Bible tells us that strife opens the door to "every evil work." It's the enemy's greatest trap to keep people from living in victory. But you don't have to fall into the trap of strife, you can rise above it. Like today's verse says, you can simply drop the matter before it turns into something bigger than it needs to. You don't have to sink down to somebody's level and argue with them and try to prove that you're right. You weren't put on this earth to correct everybody around you.
If you are going to be all that God's called you to be, you have to learn to stay above strife. Instead of letting disagreements pull your relationships apart, look for common ground to draw you closer to the people in your life. Look for peace. Look for ways to be a blessing. Stay above strife so you can enjoy your relationships and experience the blessing He has for you!
Heavenly Father, I choose to stay above strife. I choose to honor You by seeking peace in my relationships. Empower me to walk in love and be a blessing everywhere I go. In Jesus' Name. Amen (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
May 4, 2010 - Tuesday Meditation (Peace that Conquers Fears and Anxietes)
The world's approach to peace is avoidance of trouble and a refusal to face unpleasant things. Jesus offers the peace which conquers our fears and anxieties. Nothing can take us from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. No sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can make it less.
Memorial of Blessed Joseph Rubio, S.J.
Acts 14:19-28
Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21
John 14:27-31 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence.
Meditation by Don Schwager
Do you know the peace which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7)? In his farewell discourse Jesus grants peace as his gift to his disciples. What kind of peace does he offer? The peace of Christ is more than the absence of trouble. It includes everything which makes for our highest good. The world's approach to peace is avoidance of trouble and a refusal to face unpleasant things. Jesus offers the peace which conquers our fears and anxieties. Nothing can take us from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. No sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can make it less. Jesus also speaks of his destination and ultimate triumph over the powers of evil in the world. In the eyes of the world the cross stood for shame, humiliation, and defeat. Jesus went to the cross knowing that it would lead to victory over the powers of sin and of Satan. Jesus also knew that he would return to his Father in glory. The cross brought glory to Jesus and to the Father and it is our way to glory as well. In the Cross of Christ we find true peace and reconciliation with God. Do you live in the peace of Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, may your peace be always with me. May no circumstance, trouble, or vexation rob me of the peace which passes all understanding. You, alone, O Lord, are my Peace. May I always reside in that peace by believing your word and by doing your will.”
Supplementary Reading
You are Somebody's Miracle
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us"... 2 Corinthians 5:20
As a believer, God wants to do His work on the earth through you. You are His ambassador or representative. You have been given His authority and power. It's easy to get focused on this natural realm and all the things that we need, but do you realize that you are equipped to be somebody else's miracle?
Every single day, we have opportunities to show God's love and compassion to others. We have the opportunity to meet their needs, bring them healing, and offer hope and encouragement. Every day, we can sow good seed into the lives of others that will reap an eternal harvest.
I encourage you today to look for ways to be a blessing to someone else. When you pour into others and help meet their needs, God will make sure that others pour into you. Let's continue to work together to build His kingdom to the glory of God!
Father God, thank You for choosing me and using me. Once again, I surrender every area of my life to You. Show me ways to be a miracle to others so that my life brings glory to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Memorial of Blessed Joseph Rubio, S.J.
Acts 14:19-28
Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21
John 14:27-31 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence.
Meditation by Don Schwager
Do you know the peace which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7)? In his farewell discourse Jesus grants peace as his gift to his disciples. What kind of peace does he offer? The peace of Christ is more than the absence of trouble. It includes everything which makes for our highest good. The world's approach to peace is avoidance of trouble and a refusal to face unpleasant things. Jesus offers the peace which conquers our fears and anxieties. Nothing can take us from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. No sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can make it less. Jesus also speaks of his destination and ultimate triumph over the powers of evil in the world. In the eyes of the world the cross stood for shame, humiliation, and defeat. Jesus went to the cross knowing that it would lead to victory over the powers of sin and of Satan. Jesus also knew that he would return to his Father in glory. The cross brought glory to Jesus and to the Father and it is our way to glory as well. In the Cross of Christ we find true peace and reconciliation with God. Do you live in the peace of Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, may your peace be always with me. May no circumstance, trouble, or vexation rob me of the peace which passes all understanding. You, alone, O Lord, are my Peace. May I always reside in that peace by believing your word and by doing your will.”
Supplementary Reading
You are Somebody's Miracle
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us"... 2 Corinthians 5:20
As a believer, God wants to do His work on the earth through you. You are His ambassador or representative. You have been given His authority and power. It's easy to get focused on this natural realm and all the things that we need, but do you realize that you are equipped to be somebody else's miracle?
Every single day, we have opportunities to show God's love and compassion to others. We have the opportunity to meet their needs, bring them healing, and offer hope and encouragement. Every day, we can sow good seed into the lives of others that will reap an eternal harvest.
I encourage you today to look for ways to be a blessing to someone else. When you pour into others and help meet their needs, God will make sure that others pour into you. Let's continue to work together to build His kingdom to the glory of God!
Father God, thank You for choosing me and using me. Once again, I surrender every area of my life to You. Show me ways to be a miracle to others so that my life brings glory to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
May 3, 2010 - Monday Meditation (Only One of us to Love!)
Saint Augustine says the Lord loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love.
John 14:21-26 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Meditation by Don Schwager
Do you know the love that surpasses all, that is stronger than death itself (Song of Songs 8:6)? In Jesus' last supper discourse he speaks of the love he has for his disciples and of his Father's love. He prepares his disciples for his imminent departure to return to his Father by exhorting them to prove their love for him through their loyalty and obedience to his word. He promises them the abiding instruction and consolation of the Holy Spirit. Saint Augustine says the Lord loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love. God’s love for each of us is as real and tangible as the love of a mother for her child and the love of a lover who gives all for his beloved. God made us for love – to know him personally and to grow in the knowledge of his great love for us. How can we know and be assured of the love of God? The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in the knowledge of God and his great love. The Spirit enables us to experience the love of God and to be assured of the Lord’s abiding presence with us (see Romans 8:35-39). The Holy Spirit also opens our ears to hear and understand the word of God. Do you listen attentively to God's word and believe it? Ask the Holy Spirit to inflame your heart with the love of God and his word.
"Lord Jesus, in love you created me and you drew me to yourself. May I never lose sight of you nor forget your steadfast love and faithfulness. And may I daily dwell upon your word and give you praise in the sanctuary of my heart, You who are my All."
Supplementary Reading
He Orders Your Steps
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…" - Psalm 37:2
Sometimes, when we encounter difficult situations, we can be tempted to wonder if we are on the right path for our lives. And yes, sometimes we make poor choices that get us off course. But if your heart is following after God, if you're determined to stay in faith and put Him first in your life, you can be confident that you are right where you are supposed to be.
You might say, "Joel, that couldn't be right. I'm uncomfortable. Somebody isn't treating me right." God will not allow a challenge to come into your life unless He has a divine purpose for it. I've found nothing in life happens to us; it happens for us. God uses those difficult things to grow us and stretch us and take us to another level. Remember, He orders your steps. Stay in faith, keep a good attitude, and let Him lead you into the good plan He has for you!
Father in heaven, thank You for ordering my steps. I trust that You are at work in my life even during times when I don't understand it. Give me the strength and courage to do what is right in Your sight. I bless You today and always. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
John 14:21-26 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Meditation by Don Schwager
Do you know the love that surpasses all, that is stronger than death itself (Song of Songs 8:6)? In Jesus' last supper discourse he speaks of the love he has for his disciples and of his Father's love. He prepares his disciples for his imminent departure to return to his Father by exhorting them to prove their love for him through their loyalty and obedience to his word. He promises them the abiding instruction and consolation of the Holy Spirit. Saint Augustine says the Lord loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love. God’s love for each of us is as real and tangible as the love of a mother for her child and the love of a lover who gives all for his beloved. God made us for love – to know him personally and to grow in the knowledge of his great love for us. How can we know and be assured of the love of God? The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in the knowledge of God and his great love. The Spirit enables us to experience the love of God and to be assured of the Lord’s abiding presence with us (see Romans 8:35-39). The Holy Spirit also opens our ears to hear and understand the word of God. Do you listen attentively to God's word and believe it? Ask the Holy Spirit to inflame your heart with the love of God and his word.
"Lord Jesus, in love you created me and you drew me to yourself. May I never lose sight of you nor forget your steadfast love and faithfulness. And may I daily dwell upon your word and give you praise in the sanctuary of my heart, You who are my All."
Supplementary Reading
He Orders Your Steps
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…" - Psalm 37:2
Sometimes, when we encounter difficult situations, we can be tempted to wonder if we are on the right path for our lives. And yes, sometimes we make poor choices that get us off course. But if your heart is following after God, if you're determined to stay in faith and put Him first in your life, you can be confident that you are right where you are supposed to be.
You might say, "Joel, that couldn't be right. I'm uncomfortable. Somebody isn't treating me right." God will not allow a challenge to come into your life unless He has a divine purpose for it. I've found nothing in life happens to us; it happens for us. God uses those difficult things to grow us and stretch us and take us to another level. Remember, He orders your steps. Stay in faith, keep a good attitude, and let Him lead you into the good plan He has for you!
Father in heaven, thank You for ordering my steps. I trust that You are at work in my life even during times when I don't understand it. Give me the strength and courage to do what is right in Your sight. I bless You today and always. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
Saturday, May 01, 2010
May 2, 2010 - Sunday Meditation (Called not to Fix People but to Love!)
So often, people try to make others fit into their mold and be just like them. We think, "If they would just change, then I wouldn't get upset. If they would just do it the way I want, then they wouldn't get on my nerves." But really, we need to give people room to be who God created them to be. Life is too short to spend it trying to fix everybody.
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 14:21-27
Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Revelations 21:1-5a
John 13:31-35 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; 32 if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going you cannot come.' 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Meditation by Larry Gillick, S.J. - Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality
PREPRAYERING
I went shopping today at a tea store. There were hundreds of options and the teas were in large containers and the nice person weighed each of my selections. There was nothing prepackaged and I had a sense of being in touch with authenticity. The experience was contrasted by next visiting a plastic-wrapped, cellophane-secured-from-germ store. There was no person waiting and weighing, except the check-out somebody wishing me a “great Day” which also seemed cellophaned.
As we prepare to celebrate our next Eucharist we might pray with the temptations to be plastic. For me, this means being predictable, standard, distant, germless, indirect, formally-gracious, but not necessarily a grace. I was surprised by the personal attention and interaction of the tea-lady today. While waiting for my purchases, I was singing softly to myself and she said I had a good voice and would I sing a song for her. I did! Right out loud!, she did not reduce the price for all that.
Jesus was wrapped in authenticity as human as well as divine. Our reception of His Body is the authentic Life and Love of God waiting to be wrapped in all that is graciously graceful of our humanity. We can pray with the chances given to us to let Him out and making Him real.
REFLECTION
In our First Reading for this liturgy, we hear the conclusion of a great experience of being on mission. Paul and Barnabas did some wonderful things, so wonderful that the people shouted that Zeus and Hermes, Greek gods were visiting them. The two preachers shouted the louder that they were only humans doing the work of bringing good news to them.
They had their hardships of course and grew through them in their trust of God’s love and God’s use of them. We hear of their returning to the place where they had been given the mission of proclaiming the Word and initiating communities of faith. They were grace-charged humans, instruments in the hands of God. Those through the centuries who have entered into this instrumentality have known also their being in those same Hands.
This past Holy Thursday we heard in the Gospel the verses leading up to those we hear today. Jesus has washed the feet of His followers; Judas has dirtied his hands by his betrayal. Jesus is back at the table and John pictures Jesus as beginning the Good-News, Bad-News of His last hours with His friends, whom He regards as “My Children”. The bad news is that He is going to be with them for only a little while longer. The good news is that He will be revealed in all His glory, upon the Cross. Jesus, according to John, will spend the next four chapters making sure His message is stated as clearly as possible.
What is most clear and which will be repeated exactly in chapter fifteen, is that He wishes them to love one another and by this love stay together as well as increase in fruitfulness. By this mutual reverence the love that is the “glory” of God will be experienced by others and so will be drawn into the company of believers.
John’s Gospel takes various elements from the book of Genesis. Here John has Jesus giving “a new commandment” which is to “love one another”. The first and newest commandment was creation, “Let there be……..” Light, order, life and fertility were results of a divine creative command. The Fall resulted in darkness, disorder, living outside the original context and fertility was to be experienced in pain.
Jesus commands a “new” kind of creational love which is meant to bring back light, reverence, respect for what is and a relational exchange of interiors. The disciples are commanded to love each other into more and more life as Jesus had done with them. Jesus had given them as much as they could handle. Now He was urging them to love outside the circle, beyond the eleven elect. They were to encourage others to reverence themselves as gifts prepared to be given in gratitude to others.
Not all of us enter the process of bringing new sacred life into this circle of love. We all are commanded to co-create, co-sculpture, and co-recover the lives within our life’s circle. When understood, this “new commandment” urges us beyond the emotional experience of love. We are missioned to continue God’s creational, resurrectional love. I am how God continues to say, “Let there be light” because of me. “Let there be order” because of how I live. Imagine all that! That is mighty “new” and yet a commandment which surpasses all others.
Obviously we have the opposite power as well. There is our ability to also de-create, it is the “old commandment” which the Devil gave to Adam and Eve. Jesus is inviting His disciples and us to accept our being loved by the Creating God and having accepted that, we are urged gracefully to be instruments of attracting others into the circle of life. If I love you, I will want you to be, not more than you can be, but more of the God-loved person you are. The more my love for you helps you to love yourself, the more the circle will be created larger, deeper. The more you have of your true self, the more you will want to share and give others their life.
Jesus was handing His life over to us before He handed His life over to death. We are now commanded to be the instruments, sacraments, making His creative love a real presence in the circle of life.
“I am the vine and you are the branches, says the lord; he who lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit, alleluia.” Jn. 15, 5
Supplementary Reading
Love Each Other Deeply
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers…" I Peter 4:8, NIV
So often, people try to make others fit into their mold and be just like them. We think, "If they would just change, then I wouldn't get upset. If they would just do it the way I want, then they wouldn't get on my nerves." But really, we need to give people room to be who God created them to be. Life is too short to spend it trying to fix everybody. Sure, we should encourage people and help them grow and come up higher. But we have to come to the point where we step back and say, "All right, this is who God made them to be, and I'm going to accept them the way they are. Just because they don't have my same strengths, I'm not going to let that frustrate me." We have to choose love every day because love covers over our differences and offenses. Love is what allows us to appreciate what others bring into our lives, and it brings us together in unity.
Today, above all, choose love. Choose to focus on the things that make your relationships stronger because in the end, love is all that remains.
Father in heaven, today I choose to set my heart and mind on You. I choose to love others the way You have commanded. Give me the strength to walk in Your ways and understand Your love more each day. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 14:21-27
Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Revelations 21:1-5a
John 13:31-35 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; 32 if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going you cannot come.' 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Meditation by Larry Gillick, S.J. - Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality
PREPRAYERING
I went shopping today at a tea store. There were hundreds of options and the teas were in large containers and the nice person weighed each of my selections. There was nothing prepackaged and I had a sense of being in touch with authenticity. The experience was contrasted by next visiting a plastic-wrapped, cellophane-secured-from-germ store. There was no person waiting and weighing, except the check-out somebody wishing me a “great Day” which also seemed cellophaned.
As we prepare to celebrate our next Eucharist we might pray with the temptations to be plastic. For me, this means being predictable, standard, distant, germless, indirect, formally-gracious, but not necessarily a grace. I was surprised by the personal attention and interaction of the tea-lady today. While waiting for my purchases, I was singing softly to myself and she said I had a good voice and would I sing a song for her. I did! Right out loud!, she did not reduce the price for all that.
Jesus was wrapped in authenticity as human as well as divine. Our reception of His Body is the authentic Life and Love of God waiting to be wrapped in all that is graciously graceful of our humanity. We can pray with the chances given to us to let Him out and making Him real.
REFLECTION
In our First Reading for this liturgy, we hear the conclusion of a great experience of being on mission. Paul and Barnabas did some wonderful things, so wonderful that the people shouted that Zeus and Hermes, Greek gods were visiting them. The two preachers shouted the louder that they were only humans doing the work of bringing good news to them.
They had their hardships of course and grew through them in their trust of God’s love and God’s use of them. We hear of their returning to the place where they had been given the mission of proclaiming the Word and initiating communities of faith. They were grace-charged humans, instruments in the hands of God. Those through the centuries who have entered into this instrumentality have known also their being in those same Hands.
This past Holy Thursday we heard in the Gospel the verses leading up to those we hear today. Jesus has washed the feet of His followers; Judas has dirtied his hands by his betrayal. Jesus is back at the table and John pictures Jesus as beginning the Good-News, Bad-News of His last hours with His friends, whom He regards as “My Children”. The bad news is that He is going to be with them for only a little while longer. The good news is that He will be revealed in all His glory, upon the Cross. Jesus, according to John, will spend the next four chapters making sure His message is stated as clearly as possible.
What is most clear and which will be repeated exactly in chapter fifteen, is that He wishes them to love one another and by this love stay together as well as increase in fruitfulness. By this mutual reverence the love that is the “glory” of God will be experienced by others and so will be drawn into the company of believers.
John’s Gospel takes various elements from the book of Genesis. Here John has Jesus giving “a new commandment” which is to “love one another”. The first and newest commandment was creation, “Let there be……..” Light, order, life and fertility were results of a divine creative command. The Fall resulted in darkness, disorder, living outside the original context and fertility was to be experienced in pain.
Jesus commands a “new” kind of creational love which is meant to bring back light, reverence, respect for what is and a relational exchange of interiors. The disciples are commanded to love each other into more and more life as Jesus had done with them. Jesus had given them as much as they could handle. Now He was urging them to love outside the circle, beyond the eleven elect. They were to encourage others to reverence themselves as gifts prepared to be given in gratitude to others.
Not all of us enter the process of bringing new sacred life into this circle of love. We all are commanded to co-create, co-sculpture, and co-recover the lives within our life’s circle. When understood, this “new commandment” urges us beyond the emotional experience of love. We are missioned to continue God’s creational, resurrectional love. I am how God continues to say, “Let there be light” because of me. “Let there be order” because of how I live. Imagine all that! That is mighty “new” and yet a commandment which surpasses all others.
Obviously we have the opposite power as well. There is our ability to also de-create, it is the “old commandment” which the Devil gave to Adam and Eve. Jesus is inviting His disciples and us to accept our being loved by the Creating God and having accepted that, we are urged gracefully to be instruments of attracting others into the circle of life. If I love you, I will want you to be, not more than you can be, but more of the God-loved person you are. The more my love for you helps you to love yourself, the more the circle will be created larger, deeper. The more you have of your true self, the more you will want to share and give others their life.
Jesus was handing His life over to us before He handed His life over to death. We are now commanded to be the instruments, sacraments, making His creative love a real presence in the circle of life.
“I am the vine and you are the branches, says the lord; he who lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit, alleluia.” Jn. 15, 5
Supplementary Reading
Love Each Other Deeply
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers…" I Peter 4:8, NIV
So often, people try to make others fit into their mold and be just like them. We think, "If they would just change, then I wouldn't get upset. If they would just do it the way I want, then they wouldn't get on my nerves." But really, we need to give people room to be who God created them to be. Life is too short to spend it trying to fix everybody. Sure, we should encourage people and help them grow and come up higher. But we have to come to the point where we step back and say, "All right, this is who God made them to be, and I'm going to accept them the way they are. Just because they don't have my same strengths, I'm not going to let that frustrate me." We have to choose love every day because love covers over our differences and offenses. Love is what allows us to appreciate what others bring into our lives, and it brings us together in unity.
Today, above all, choose love. Choose to focus on the things that make your relationships stronger because in the end, love is all that remains.
Father in heaven, today I choose to set my heart and mind on You. I choose to love others the way You have commanded. Give me the strength to walk in Your ways and understand Your love more each day. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel & Victoria Osteen)
EL SHADDAI Radio Program : http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
