Psalm Response: The Lord is kind and merciful. Ps 103:8 Last week, Jesus gave us words to live by, The ‘Beatitudes,’ or blessings. Today, Jesus reminds us to be compassionate and forgiving. Jesus continues to explain what he means and how we should live. We are so quick to judge others harshly. Would we want God to judge us that […]
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Psalm 1 The BEATITUDES And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said, “Blessed are you…” Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. Luke 6 We cherish these words of Jesus even today. The ‘Beatitudes,’ or blessings, that Christ gives us takes everything to the next level. We even see that the prophets have said this before! Their message might have been said with a “woe to you if you are satisfied” instead of blessed are you. The paradox of our faith shows itself in these blessings. How can we laugh when we feel like crying? This distinction can be hard to understand for us today. You may have heard ‘happy are those’ in a different translation. We know that we can’t be happy all the time. Words for our blessings are satisfied, comforted and can experience the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s a different way of looking at the challenges we have in life. Interesting that the following verses in Luke Chapter 6 are love your enemies and the Golden rule. Check out the next posts! The Beatitudes are the way to live that goes beyond the 10 Commandments. Taking it up a notch! Why? What do we think? Then how do […]
TRANSFORMATION Part 3 – You, only better! …Although in Holy Communion we are at once united with Christ, his power within us develops gradually. …Nor will the eucharistic God alone transform us. He requires our free, generous cooperation. Only by stimulating our higher faculties can we imitate Christ’s life. …Although Christ dwells in us with His Body, Blood, Soul and […]
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord The Lord will bless his people with peace. Ps 29 In the Gospel from Luke Chapter 3, we see John the Baptist announcing the one who is mightier than he and will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. John was baptizing with water, not with power. Take some time this week to think about what baptism means for your life. Our baptism is different! …The Baptism given by Jesus, which the Church, faithful to his command, does not cease to administer, is quite different. This Baptism frees man from original sin and forgives his sins, saves him from slavery to evil and is a sign of his rebirth in the Holy Spirit; it imparts to him a new life, which is participation in the life of God the Father, given to us by his Only-Begotten Son who became man, died and rose again. 4. Dear brothers and sisters, in a few moments these children will also receive Baptism and become living members of the Church. They will first be anointed with the oil of catechumens, a sign of Christ’s gentle strength given to them to fight against evil. Then blessed water will be poured on them, a sign of their interior purification through the gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out by Jesus as he was dying on the Cross. They are then immediately given a second and more important anointing with “chrism”, to show […]
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