LENTEN PRACTICE OF FASTING

LENTEN REFLECTIONS

JESUS PRAYS AND FASTS 40 DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS

BACKGROUND

The Bible has a great deal to say about both fasting and praying. Many of the Old Testament heroes and heroines of the faith, fasted and prayed. The followers of John the Baptist fasted and prayed. Jesus fasted and prayed. Jesus’ disciples fasted and prayed after the Resurrection.  Prayer and fasting are combined in the Old Testament in times of mourning, repentance, and deep spiritual need.

David prayed and fasted over his sick child

2 Samuel 12:16.

Early on in the New Testament of the Gospel of Luke we see the Presentation of Our Lord in the temple.  In Luke’s account, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embody Israel in their patient expectation; they acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, Throughout the New Testament fasting and prayer are often mentioned together as with the widow, Anna, who worshiped day and night fasting and praying.”

PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD IN THE TEMPLE

When the days were completed for their purification* according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” Luke 2:22

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38

Prayer is essential with fasting. You may recall the disciples who were given power over demons came back to Jesus and admitted they could not cast out this one malicious stubborn demon which Jesus then did exorcise.   They asked Jesus why they couldn’t do this. Jesus said this kind can only be cast out with prayer. Mark 9:9

Fasting, joined together with fervent prayer from the heart, demonstrates just how serious our prayer is. When a Christian practices the sacrifice of self-denial, he is joining himself to the sacrifice of the Cross, the power for good is unleashed and miracles are allowed to happen where half-hearted prayer alone could not succeed:

 CONCLUSION

It was our appetite of the flesh that got us into mess we are in. “The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Genesis 3:6

Denying my willfulness, to focus on God matters greatly because I was created by God to know, love, and serve Him in this world and be happy for all eternity with Him in the next.

God created us and has given each one of us a mission.  Let’s not get in the way of that mission by putting our own desires and wants before God’s will.

Fasting, self-denial may include more than food and drink.  There are many things we may deny ourselves from, for example, talking bad about someone, not watching your favorite TV shows, not gossiping on social media, not dwelling on my real or perceived wounds

Pray for the grace to fast. Pray that your fast will move mountains in your life and the lives of others.  Pray in words of Scripture, pray from prayer books, pray in your own words pray before the Blessed Sacrament, pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary, PRAY!PRAY!PRAY!

Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. 

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

MATTHEW 26:41

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LETTER OF JAMES CHAPTER THREE

CATHOLIC LETTERS, SCRIPTURE

SAINT JAMES APOSTLE

BISHOP OF JERUSALEM. AND EVANGELIST

 TAMING THE TONGUE 3:1-12

….we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also.   If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies.

It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes. In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions….

For every kind of beast, bird, reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  This need not be so, my brothers.  Does a spring gush forth from the same opening both pure and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine, figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh.

REFLECTION

 In this Scripture passage, James reminds us of the damage we can do with speech. The tongue can and is likely to do grave damage to other human beings, (made in the likeness and image of God) in gossip, curses, judgments, and name calling etc.

All of these deadly evils begin in the heart. “Harden not your hearts,” Hebrews 3:8

 God makes a New Covenant in our hearts. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people Jerimiah 31:33

 For I will pour out water on the thirsty land….I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; Isaiah 44:3

…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water (Spirit) springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14

….Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity…hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness…I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:15-23

 TRUE WISDOM. 3:13-18

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.  Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.

REFLECTION

 True wisdom is seeking to be image of God.  Jesus’s commands, Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.  Matthew 5:48.

God our Father, Abba Father, make us whole again.  Overcome our inclination to evil (sin) Make us fresh again, remove the debris in our hearts, let us be wise in our choices and discern with the aid of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name we pray!

 

ASH WEDNESDAY

LENTEN REFLECTIONS

REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE DUST, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN”

On Ash Wednesday when ashes are placed on our forehead, we might hear either “Remember” that you are dust and to dust you shall return or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

You are dust and to dust you shall return reminds me everything I have I owe to God, I am nothing without God, my life and its gifts are all due to God’s generosity.

You have anointed my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5

“Repent and believe in the Gospel” means to me that I must give up many of my self-serving ways to follow and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not my will be done but thy will!

Acknowledging God’s existence is sometimes hard because we have to accept the consequences of believing in a God who loved us into existence. God is our maker.  He made us with a purpose. As the old TV show said “Father Knows Best”

The full revelation of the Father is Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, the Word Incarnate. Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?   For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct. Matthew 16:24-27

  God calls us out into the desert of Lent to test us to see where our hearts are like Moses.

“You shall remember the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart.  Deut. 8:2

God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts. But our world is afraid of silence. We are flooded with noise, distractions, spectacle…We have a tendency to be constantly busy, actively doing something.  Lent is a time to return to God from the snares of this world.  Lent offers more time each day for quiet. In solitude we will hear God’s whisper as Elijah did….

 The LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. 1 Kings 19:12

Make space for God in your interior life so that you can hear his voice, notice his goodness and beauty, talk to him and tell him you love him. Take more time for quiet prayer each day. Stop by the chapel each day for just a few minutes of silence resting in his Presence before the Blessed Sacrament.

COME FOLLOW ME THIS LENT

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;  2 Corinthians 6:2

 PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word, be purified of the sin that binds us, and serve Christ, present in our brothers and sisters in need.

 Let us pray for one another that, by sharing in the victory of Christ, we will experience and share in the full joy of Easter. 

 

 

 

PREPARING FOR LENT

LENTEN REFLECTIONS

 

After Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan, He was led by the Spirit into the desert to prepare for his public ministry.  There He fasted and prayed for 40 days.  During this time, his faith was tested by the Evil One.

Jesus was tempted by Satan with the usual temptations that we all face, to choose the flesh over spirit, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread….Matthew 4:3

To possess the world, rather than being good stewards, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’…Matthew 4:6

The pride of life, placing our will over God’s will. Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9

The Liturgical season of Lent is our 40 day retreat in imitation of Christ. We hope and pray to come into a greater intimacy with God our Father…a deeper awareness of our need for His mercy and an unique time to answer Jesus’ call to conversion.

Repent and believe in the Gospel!

Mark 1:15

The original meaning of the word “Lent” in Old English is springtime. It is possible to understand Lent as a kind of springtime for our spiritual lives; a time when the darkness of sin that can enter our souls gives way to the light of God’s grace

Forty days has importance in the Bible, being found 24 times throughout scripture. In Genesis, Noah experiences the flood for forty days and nights until the earth was cleansed from sin and corruption.  Moses spent 40 days in the wilderness of Sinai talking to God and writing down the commandments as God would give them.

ON EASTER SUNDAY EVENING JESUS CHRIST INSTITUTED THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOSE SINS YOU FORGIVE ARE FORGIVEN

 “In the evening of the same day…Jesus came and stood among them…Peace be with you…. As the Father sent me…so I am sending you…Jesus breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven.  For those whose sins you retain, they are retained.'” John 20:19-35

Today, the Church, Jesus founded, is the custodian of conversion, forgiveness of sins, absolution, and reconciliation.  It is God’s will that none be lost.  I Timothy 2:4

Today, God the Father of mercy awaits our return home. Let us return in the words of the Prodigal Son. I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son… Luke 15:18-19

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives his disciples three spiritual exercises—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—as antidotes to “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” 1 John 2:16

In our modern self-centered, all-about-me world, the concept of fasting is very foreign and many Christians resist it. If Adam and Eve had fasted from the tree of good and evil they would have never lost paradise and intimacy with God, nor passed this inheritance on to us.

By denying ourselves food, we help strengthen our wills —so important in conquering sinful addictions. Fasting brings the appetites of our flesh under control   Fasting reminds us who we are and our dependence on God.

Almsgiving is a spiritual remedy for the disordered desire for possessions (“the lust of the eyes”) Almsgiving is not optional for salvation. Jesus does not say in Matthew 6:2“If you give alms…” but “When you give alms…” Jesus assumes that “almsgiving” or other “acts of mercy” will be a regular part of the spiritual life of his followers.

Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Luke 12:33–34

Jesus clearly teaches that giving to the poor is necessary for salvation. Nowhere is this clearer than in his famous Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.  This parable shows the absolute necessity of almsgiving for salvation.  “Whatever you did to the least of my brethren, you did to me.” Matthew 25:31–46

THE WIDOW’S MITE

“Amen, I say to you, from her poverty, 

has contributed all she had  Mark 12:43

Neither fasting nor almsgiving will be of any spiritual value if it is not united to prayer. Pray for the grace to fast, to give alms, and to do works of charity. When a Christian practices the sacrifice of self-denial and joins his sacrifice to the sacrifice of Jesus, the power for good is unleashed in unlimited miraculous ways.

What will your Lenten resolutions be?  There are things you might do (commission) and things you may refrain from doing (omission). Here are a few suggestions beyond traditional fasting and almsgiving. You may visit the sick, work on resolving family disputes, reading and praying the Bible, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, attending an extra Mass during week,

There are things you may refrain from such as:  talking bad about someone, refrain from seeking attention or praise, refrain from judging others, pray for patience in situations that make you angry like road rage. Watching television shows that appeal to our addictions, playing video games, engaging in social media on the internet….

Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbor. May we utilize to the fullest this holy season of Lent so that when Easter Sunday arrives, we experience a springtime of new life in the Risen Christ.

As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with His death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.

WHEN CHRIST CALLS A MAN, HE BIDS HIM COME AND DIE!

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

Not my will but thy will be done

 

 

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LETTER OF JAMES CHAPTER TWO

CATHOLIC LETTERS

SAINT JAMES APOSTLE

BISHOP OF JERUSALEM. AND EVANGELIST

 INTRODUCTION

James wrote to a very partial age, filled with prejudice and hatred based on class, ethnicity, nationality, and religious background. In the ancient world people were routinely and permanently categorized because they were Jew or Gentile, slave or free, rich or poor…..

A significant aspect of the work of Jesus was to break down these walls that divided humanity, and to bring forth one new race of mankind in Him Ephesians 2:14-15

The unity and openness of the early church was shocking to the ancient world. But this unity didn’t come automatically. As this command from James shows, the apostles had to teach the early church to never hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ… with partiality.

 MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT JAMES 2:1-13

My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?*

Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor* in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?  But you dishonored the poor person….

 However, if you fulfill the royal* law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not kill.”  Even if you do not commit adultery but kill, you have become a transgressor of the law…For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

REFLECTION

 James’ use of the term partiality reminds us of the caution not to judge others, Judge not lest you be judged!  Matthew 7:1

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite,* remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye. Matt. 7:4-5

We should not choose on appearances. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart 1 Samuel 16:7 God looks at the heart and so should we.

We should recognize all our brothers and sisters who are all made in the same image and likeness of God as we are. God is one God but three persons in love with each other in the Most Holy Trinity.  We are made to love and be loved.

When we assume that the rich man is more important to God or more blessed by God, we put too much value in material riches. When God came to earth he came to a little known part of this earth, born in poverty.

QUESTION TO PONDER

Why did God choose to come into this world in poverty?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 THE MERCY WE SHOW TO OTHERS WILL BE EXTENDED

TO US AGAIN ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.

 FAITH AND WORKS. JAMES 2:14-26

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?   If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?  So also faith if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works.

 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God….  For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

REFLECTION

By Faith we mean our complete submission of intellect and will to God.  If we really believe something we will follow through and act upon it. God cannot and will not deceive. There is a difference in believing in a God and believing God.

I could say I believe in God and Jesus as my Lord and Savior and not be saved because I chose my way of doing things over God’s will. “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven Matt.7:21

The faith that saves is never alone. Works must accompany a genuine faith, because genuine faith is always connected with conversion, becoming a new creation in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17

 God is beyond anything we can say about him or think about him. God is always more. God in his love for us and his desire for relationship has revealed himself in His Creation and Divine revelation thru Scripture.  God is mystery.  We will never understand the Most Holy Trinity fully. In our faith journey, doubts will come and go.  A million doubts do not mean a denial of faith in God who is truthful, trustworthy, and beyond deceit.

 “LORD I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF.” MARK 9:24

 

 

 

CATHOLIC LETTERS OF NEW TESTAMENT

2 Comments / CATHOLIC LETTERS

LETTER OF JAMES CHAPTER ONE

JAMES THE LESSER

 INTRODUCTION

This letter, which was accepted as canonical from the second century onward, is attributed to James, the son of Cleophas and of Mary, the Blessed Virgin’s sister or cousin.

To distinguish him from the other James, the son of Zebedee Matt. 10:2-4, this James is called “the less” and, also, “the brother (cousin) of the Lord” James the younger” here has also been translated “James the less”

From the Book of Acts we know that James enjoyed great authority in the church of Jerusalem Acts 15:13-19.

Paul also describes him as one of the pillars of the Church and gives him a prominent place among those to whom our Lord appeared after his Resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:7

James the apostle (the less) was, then, bishop of Jerusalem until his death in the year 62. He wrote his letter around the year 60. In it he shows himself to be steeped in the Old Testament and in the teachings of Jesus deriving from the Sermon on the Mount.

EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER ONE

PERSEVERANCE IN TRIAL

 VERSES 1-4

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings. Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing* of your faith produces perseverance….. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 VERSES 12-13

Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.*No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

REFLECTION

 James speaks of himself as a slave to God.  The word slave today has many bad connotations. James means he is committed to God’s will.  How committed are we?

Sometimes we fail. Our will, wishes, desires will get the best of us. God tempts no one. Satan tempts God tries.. God will never tempt us to evil but sometimes He allows it as a test of our faith as in the case of Job (Book of Job)

A faith untested is not much of a faith, God wants us to choose freely to love him and serve him

God respects our free will and will never force us to choose Him…..An enormous responsibility on our part… we must pray that we choose God’s will every day and avoid anything that would separate us even for a moment.  Our intention is to live all eternity with God why not start now!

DOERS OF THE WORD.

 VERSES 19-25

Know this, my dear brothers….Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.  He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.  But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.

REFLECTION

Peers into the perfect law. The perfect law refers to the Old Testament Mosaic law and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Faith Without Works Is Dead.  James 2:14 At the time of Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther proclaimed Faith alone can save you so he left Epistle of James out of his bible. Luther was wrong then and still wrong today. Only doing the will of Father can save me. Moved by grace, we submit our intellect and will to God.

We need faith and works.  What good is it to say I believe in Jesus Lord and Savior then act like we don’t?  There is a difference in believing in a God and believing God.

A belief in a God is faith of intellect but does not bring about change or conversion. I can still acknowledge the Lord and not be saved by going about my merry way like the old Frank Sinatra tune “I did it my way!”

We are reminded by the words of Jesus, Himself, “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father” Matthew 7:21.

 

 

 

MARCH FOR LIFE POST ROE V WADE

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

CHOOSE LIFE

“I have today set before you, life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life that you and your descendants may live.” 

DEUTERONOMY 30:15

The earliest Christians used as their “moral guide of behavior” the admonition God made to his chosen people, through Moses, His Prophet, I am offering you, life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live… Deuteronomy 30:19.

INTRODUCTION

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout the United States in its companion decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Since that time, millions of children have lost their lives, and millions of women and families have been wounded by abortion.

In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. 

When is abortion permitted?  NEVER! Not when it is inconvenient…not when the child in the womb is the wrong sex….not when child created by God is a result of rape or incest…not when child in womb may be born with some handicap….DELIBERATE ABORTION IS NEVER PERMITTED.    NOTE: In an attempt to save a mother’s life, the life of the child in her womb may be lost in unintended consequences.

 CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 2270  Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.

Today, many consider pregnancy a disease to be preemptively attacked. Some politicians aggressively defend the right to abortion. Just because it is legal does not make it RIGHT!

Women claim it is their body and free to do what they want.  “My Body, My Choice,” betrays a tragic misunderstanding of what is taking place inside the womb.

The DNA of the child that determines sex, facial features, physique, and the color of the skin, hair, and eyes is different from the Mother’s. Every cell of the baby in the womb is genetically distinct from every cell in the mother’s body.  The gift of life is God’s choice not a woman’s!

On June 24, 2022, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned  Roe v. Wade. While God, in His mercy, ended the nearly fifty-year nationwide regime of abortion on demand, right now state and federal laws, in many instances, are still hostile to pre-born children.

The landscape has changed, but our mission to create a culture of love and life where abortion is unthinkable remains the same. At this year’s march, we will take the time to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision and acknowledge all that went into our 50 years of work toward ending Roe in the courts.

We must now wage war in Congress, in our statehouses and in our communities. Through our continued advocacy and witness at the national level, we plan to hold the line protecting life-saving policies such as the Hyde Amendment

We must not only care for the unborn but also the already born who may be so adversely affected by an unplanned pregnancy that in her pain and despair may consider killing the life of the baby growing inside her womb.  It so refreshing when I encounter a newly pregnant woman proclaim proudly, “I am having a baby!”

Thousands of pregnancy resource centers and hundreds of maternity homes exist across the country giving women an alternative to abortion and letting them know that they are not alone.

These centers and homes provide everything a mother might need, including housing, financial assistance, education, counseling, clothing, diapers, child care and more.

These organizations rely heavily on us — both in terms of volunteer hours as well as donations — and it is up to us to be a beacon of hope for them and the women they serve.

If we have learned anything from the recent Dobbs decision, it is that we can accomplish anything we set our mind to. With a lot of hard work, courage and prayer, we will build a world where every life is valued and loved and abortion is unthinkable!

MARCH FOR LIFE

 EPILOGUE

At every stage and in every circumstance, we are held in existence by God’s love. The presence of an illness, disability, or other challenging situation never diminishes the value of a human life. God does not call us to perfection of appearance or abilities, but to perfection in love.

 Christ came that we “might have life and have it more abundantly” John 10:10 May our culture experience the power of God’s transforming love, that all eyes may be opened to the incredible beauty of every human life.

“Children truly are the family’s greatest treasure and most precious good. Everyone must be helped to become aware of the intrinsic evil of the crime of abortion. In attacking human life in its very first stages, it is also an aggression against society itself. Politicians and legislators, therefore, as servants of the common good, are duty bound to defend the fundamental right to life, the fruit of God’s love.” Pope Benedict XVI

PRAYER FOR RESPECT FOR EVERY HUMAN LIFE

Heavenly Father, thank you
for the precious gift of life.

Help us to cherish and protect
this gift, even in the midst of fear,
pain, and suffering.

Give us love for all people,
especially the most vulnerable,
and help us bear witness to the
truth that every life is worth living.

Grant us the humility to accept
help when we are in need,
and teach us to be merciful to all.

Through our words and actions,
may others encounter the
outstretched hands
of Your mercy.

We ask this through
Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

 

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

CATHOLIC FEAST DAYS

John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins…

 REFLECTION

 John’s baptism does not forgive sins but prepares the hearts of people to acknowledge their guilt and readies them for God’s mercy that the Savior promises…Jesus is that Savior.

JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY TO HIMSELF.

 SCRIPTURE

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [to him] to ask him, “Who are you?”  he admitted “I am not the Messiah.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?”* And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

 So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said.”

….*“I baptize with water;* but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” *JOHN 1:19-28

VOICE CRYING OUT IN DESERT

 INTRODUCTION

 The Baptism of Jesus is not just another story of Jesus told in all four Gospels but THE STORY.  It says all we need to know about who Jesus is and our relationship to Him.

Jesus is our Savior and we are the ones He came to save. Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21, and John 1:29-34

 The Old Testament, the promise, and the New Testament, the fulfillment, come together. The call to repentance by the prophets of the Old and call to repentance of John the Baptist in the New. We also have the Passover lamb that delivered the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt in the Old and the Lamb of God who delivers us from our sins in the New.

REFLECTION

 John the Baptist asserts he is not the Messiah, the expected one.  John could have out of pride taken their adulation and sycophancy, but no, he told the truth.  There was no deceit in John the Baptist.  John was all about truth. Repent, the kingdom is coming, be ready, prepare yourselves, your salvation is at hand.

John bears witness.  What kind of witness are we?  John the Baptist knew his place in the Divine Plan.  Do we know our place?

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD

 JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY TO JESUS.

 SCRIPTURE

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,* who takes away the sin of the world He is the one of whom I said, A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him,* but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” JOHN 1:29-34

 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Matthew 3:13-15

 REFLECTION

 John protests that he should be the one baptized by Jesus but Jesus says let it be done for now for sake of righteousness.  What is this thing called righteousness?

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5

In the New Testament Joseph foster father of Jesus is described as righteous. And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. Matthew 1:19

 Righteousness may be described as oneness with God….no separateness between my will and God’s will. So Jesus is telling John the Baptist it is the Father’s will for a time.  Let it be!

Jesus did not have Original Sin or any other sin.  Jesus’ insisted on Baptism by John for an example to others who were in need of reconciliation and new beginnings due to their fallen state, weakened wills, clouded minds, and unruly appetites. Conversion was the message,

When Jesus was immersed in the waters of John’s baptism He took on all the sins of the world, and carried them to redemption on the cross. Jesus emerged from the waters of Baptism, affirmed by the Father, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED

After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened…the Spirit of God descended like a dove… And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” JOHN 1:26-32

John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove* from the sky and remain upon him…. Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” John 1:32-34

REFLECTIONS

 John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit affirming Jesus as the one sent by God. John testified to the others gathered, this man is the Son of God.  How are we in testifying to others that Jesus is the Son of God…there is no other to follow.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Jesus is that sacrificial lamb who sacrifices himself for us that our sins may be forgiven… sin has no more dominion over mankind…Blessed be God!

 The Father affirms the Son’s mission…”This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased…Here is your Savior!

CLOSING

At our Baptisms we become adopted sons and daughters and heirs to heaven. At our Baptisms we reject Satan and all his works and empty promises. At our Baptisms we are made righteous, cleansed of our sins, infused with sanctifying grace, and configured to Christ…an initiation that sets us on our journey back home to the Father.

THINGS TO PONDER

HE MUST INCREASE, I MUST DECREASE!

JOHN 3:30

 

 

 

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY DECEMBER 30, 2022

CATHOLIC FEAST DAYS

JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH

REFLECTION

As I look at this picture of the Holy Family, many themes come to mind. Love and faithfulness stand out…  Mary’s words of obedience to God’s messenger, “Be it done to me according to thy word,” without understanding the consequences of her fiat.  Her submission to God’s will says so much about the trust Mary had in a benevolent God that only wishes us well.

Mary conceives a Son by the Power of the Holy Spirit….the Son Mary conceived was no ordinary Son but the Son of God…Mary will bring God to the world… the Word Incarnate…God will dwell once again among His people…The Garden is refreshed with a NEW ADAM…

Joseph had his own qualms to deal with when his wife to be became pregnant and not by him.  Joseph was already a righteous man in relationship with God and did not want to do anything to embarrass or jeopardize his spouse to be so he was going to separate quietly.

Then God intervened, “behold, the angel of the Lord* appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” Matthew 1:20

Because of the love of Mary and Joseph, the Christ child in the picture is able to hold out his arms and embrace the whole world in blessing.  A child lives what he experiences.  A loving family attached to God their creator and source can only spread the love and embrace of God the Father to others.

At one point Jesus got separated from Mary and Joseph and when found teaching in the temple he willingly left His Father’s house and went back to his earthly home in Nazereth.  “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.  And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man” Luke 2:49-51

 Jesus went home with His earthly parents and was obedient to them…He obeyed the Father’s will in honoring Mary and Joseph….How am I honoring God in my daily duties…

Not much is known about Jesus’ child hood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood in his home town of Nazareth.  We do know the Holy Family were all devout Jews honoring and worshiping God according to Jewish practices, especially holy days like Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, and Pentecost.

Mary and Joseph would have provided for their family in traditional roles of feeding and caring for their child.  In his human nature Jesus would be learning and not taking any “divine” short cuts as he assisted his earthly foster father, Joseph, in his carpentry trade.

Loving parents, loving child, the core of God’s plan for salvation of mankind, imaging the relationship of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

 In the cultural change taking place in the present-day, models are often presented which conflict with the Christian vision of the family. Christianity proclaims that God created humanity as male and female, and blessed them to form one flesh and transmit life Gen 1: 27-28; 2, 24

 The mystery of life’s creation on earth fills us with wonder and delight. The family, founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, is splendid to behold and irreplaceable in an interpersonal loving relationship which transmits life. The act of generation, must be understood in light of the parents’ responsibility and commitment to the care and Christian upbringing of their children, who are the most precious fruit of conjugal love

According to our faith, the difference between the sexes bears in itself the image and likeness of God  Genesis 1:26-27. “This tells us that it is not man alone who is the image of God or woman alone who is the image of God, but man and woman as a couple who are the image of God.

 To families with homosexual members, the Church reiterates that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his/her dignity, while carefully avoiding “every sign of unjust discrimination”…Regarding proposals to place unions of homosexual persons on the same level as marriage, “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family”.

Marriage is a gift and a promise of God. The witness of couples, who faithfully live their marriage, highlights the value of this indissoluble union and awakens the desire to constantly renew their commitment to fidelity.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY

Heavenly father, you have given us a model of life

in the Holy family of Nazareth

Help us, O Loving Father to make our family another Nazareth

where love, peace, and joy reign

May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic,

and vibrant with joy.

Holy Family Pray for us.

 St. Terese Kolkata

IN JESUS’ NAME WE PRAY

 

 

 

 

DISCIPLESHIP COME FOLLOW ME

CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

TO HAVE LIFE WE MUST GIVE IT AWAY 

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,  but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25

There are many calls to discipleship throughout Scripture.  I will cite just a few examples because of the circumstances of the call, the manner of the call, and the reaction of the one called.

CALL OF MATTHEW

The first one is the call of Levi, the tax collector whose name was later changed to Matthew.  When you encounter the Lord your name is often changed, .Simon/Peter.

And he saw tax collector and said follow me. Matthew points at himself with the expression-Who me?  Leaving everything behind, he got up and followed HIM

Do we ever ask God if He got the wrong person, Who Me! OR DO WE FOLLOW ANYWAY?

BLIND BARTIMAEUS

As Jesus was leaving Jericho, he came across a blind beggar named Bartimaeus.  The beggar when he heard who was passing by kept calling out, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.”

Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see. Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:50-52

Why did Jesus ask the beggar what he wanted from him? In prayer, Are we specific in telling God what we want?  Do we persevere in that prayer?

ZACCHAEUS

 Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.

 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”

And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.  Jesus said to him,

“Today salvationc has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:1-10

 DO WE CHANGE WHEN WE ENCOUNTER JESUS?  HOW SO? ARE WE LOOKING FOR CHANGE WHEN WE ARE LOOKING FOR JESUS?

We are all familiar with these kinds of stories in the Gospels where once confronted by Jesus that person gets a sense of healing, physically/spiritually…a movement towards wholeness… THEY leave whatever state they were in…. to follow Jesus down the road…along the WAY. We may stumble along the way but Jesus is there to pick us up if we only ask,

As followers,(imitators of Christ) we share with others as Jesus did.-love our enemies, forgive that we may be forgiven, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, be merciful that mercy will be shown you…  The only thing we take with us when we die, is what we have given away….so leave that suitcase behind…

JESUS’ DISCIPLES BEARING GIFTS FOR OTHERS

One teaching of Jesus I always had trouble with was giving my life away that I might have life.  It’s my life, isn’t it?  Don’t I have the right to live it as I want?  I do have free will, after all. The choice is mine. What about my choices?  Choices have consequences.

There is both an Ego drama and a Theo drama being played out.  One is my plan (Ego drama) the other is God’s plan for bringing me into excellent existence.  Life is a gift from God.  God has a plan and purpose for my existence.

Do I stick with God or do I separate myself with sin. Uh-Oh, No sins allowed in heaven. Be holy as I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16  Well, I better begin now to become what God envisioned when he breathed life into my soul and body if I want to end up there for all eternity.

 To have Heaven and a share in Divine life I must set aside this world, its pomp, transient glories, and passing pleasures. I must help the needy and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35