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PRAYING THE PSALMS 5

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN, SINGER,

AUTHOR OF PSALMS

INTRODUCTION

The book of the Psalms is not a single book but a collection of many poems and other similar works composed mostly by King David but include many other authors such as Moses and Solomon. In the Psalms, joy, suffering, the desire and fear of death are all interwoven and expressed.

Psalms were the most common prayer of Jesus in the New Testament who loved singing them with his disciples. As they left the Last Supper they sang psalms on their way to Gethsemane. “Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30

On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5 (Luke 23:46)

God is the true author of the Bible including the Psalms. Since Psalms are the Word of God, the pray-er who prays the Psalms speaks to God with the very words that God has given to us. Psalms are a school of prayer. When I pray the words of the Psalms, I don’t just think about how this is my prayer, I think about how it is the prayer of Jesus Christ. It is his prayer for his church and for the world. Excerpts of Psalms are copied below.

PSALM 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands. Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge…. A report goes forth through all the earth, their messages, to the ends of the world….

From one end of the heavens it comes forth; its course runs through to the other; nothing escapes its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye….

The statutes of the LORD are true, all of them just More desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold, Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb. By them your servant is warned; obeying them brings much reward….Cleanse me from my inadvertent sins. Also from arrogant ones restrain your servant; let them never control me. Then shall I be blameless, innocent of grave sin. Let the words of my mouth be acceptable, the thoughts of my heart before you, LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

REFLECTION

This hymn of praise directs us to the utter goodness of God. God is good. Follow Him and His statutes and our life will be full of sweetness and serenity. Sin is the only disrupter. Cleanse me from my sins that I may be blameless in your sight. Send your light into my darkness, that illuminated, I may grasp the light and be saved.

PSALM 140

Deliver me, LORD, from the wicked; preserve me from the violent, From those who plan evil in their hearts, who stir up conflicts every day, Who sharpen their tongue like a serpent, venom of asps upon their lips.

Keep me, LORD, from the clutches of the wicked; preserve me from the violent, who plot to trip me up. The arrogant have set a trap for me; they have spread out ropes for a net, laid snares for me by the wayside.

I say to the LORD: You are my God; listen, LORD, to the words of my pleas. LORD, my master, my strong deliverer, you cover my head on the day of armed conflict…..

I know the LORD will take up the cause of the needy, justice for the poor. Then the righteous will give thanks to your name; the upright will dwell in your presence.

REFLECTION

A prayer of deliverance from all evil, all occasions of sins. If we walk with the Lord, He will lead us along the path of righteousness and hold us up less we fall into a pit. He will help in our discernment. Lord grant me wisdom to know right from wrong and the fortitude to deny my will full choices. Thy will be done!

PSALM 145

I will extol you, my God and king; I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise, whose grandeur is beyond understanding…

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. The LORD is good to all, compassionate toward all your works. All your works give you thanks, LORD and your faithful bless you. They speak of the glory of your reign and tell of your mighty works. The LORD is just in all his ways, merciful in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him…

REFLECTION

The Lord is near to those who call upon Him. So why not call upon Him. His mercy endures forever to all of us no matter what state we find ourselves. We are not alone. Why pretend we are? God awaits our call. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS

SAINT (MOTHER) TERESA OF CALCUTTA

1 Comment / CATHOLIC FEAST DAYS

FEAST DAY SEPTEMBER 5

INTRODUCTION

Saints are models for us. The saints are not only models for us, they are intercessors on our behalf. Mother Teresa is one of my favorite saints. Years ago she inspired our whole family, teenage girls included, to spend time in the poorest of poor nations, Haiti to work with the poor and dying. One of the places was a hospice run by the Missionaries of Charity the order Mother Teresa founded.

We have never been the same since. It is true when you give your life for another, you save your life and that life becomes more abundant. God keeps His promises. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25

BACKGROUND

Born in Skopje in 1910, MOTHER TERESA joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin in 1928 and was sent to India, where she began her novitiate. She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta from 1931 to 1948, until leaving the Loreto order to begin the Missionaries of Charity.

Through her sisters, brothers, and priests, her service of the poorest of the poor spread all around the world. She won many awards, including the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. After her death in 1997, the process for sainthood quickly began and she was beatified in 2003 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.

In 1946, Mother Teresa had a mystical encounter with Christ on a train to Darjeeling September 26, 1946 in which He asked her to take her love for Him a large step further. He asked her to leave the convent of Loreto and begin an order which would serve the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta.

During the time of her mystical experiences leading to the founding of the new order, she experienced deep spiritual union and the sensible awareness of God’s Presence in her life.

Here is a small sample of Jesus’ words to her: “My little one – come – carry Me into the holes of the poor. – Come be My light – I cannot go alone – they don’t know Me – How I long to enter their holes – in your love for Me – they will see Me, know Me, want Me…. For them I long –Wilt thou refuse?”

During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look after, has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world.

Mother Teresa’s passionate love for God motivated her throughout her life: “I want to love Him as He has never been loved before—with a tender, personal, intimate love.” With the permission of my confessor, I made a vow to God – binding under Mortal Sin – to give to God anything that He may ask, ‘Not to refuse Him anything.’”

As Mother Teresa’s life as a Missionary of Charity began, her mystical experiences and deep awareness of God’s Presence within her soul ended. With the help of her confessors she gradually began to see this darkness as a dark night of the soul that enabled her to identify more completely with the darkness and alienation of the people to whom she ministered.

There were indeed times when she thought the darkness was more than she could bear, times when she prayed desperately for healing and relief. But she learned to accept the darkness without allowing it to impede her work. Her determination is expressed beautifully in these words: “The greater the pain and darker the darkness the sweeter will be my smile at God” (“Come Be My Light” p.222)

QUOTES OF MOTHER TERESA

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Each person is Jesus in disguise.

I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy. I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus..

It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

At the hour of death when we come face-to-face with God, we are going to be judged on love; not how much we have done, but how much love we put into the doing.

CONCLUSION

We are each called and equipped by God to not only survive our personal Calcutta, but to contribute to those around us whose individual Calcutta intersects our own. There is no need, then, to travel to far-off lands to contribute… Wherever we are, with whatever talents and relationships God has entrusted us, we are each called not to do what Mother Teresa did, but– to love as she loved in the Calcuttas of our own life.

Made in the very image and likeness of God, We on earth, are God’s love, God’s compassion, God’s will, God’s caregivers, His smile, His tears. We must show the presence of God in this world because He is not coming again until the end of time.

So many have forgotten what saints of the Old Testament knew that God is one, Lord of all and there is no other. So many floods, fires. earthquakes pestilence, wars so many man-made disasters. Why aren’t our churches filled with a call for repentance and mercy from a God that loves us.

Mother Teresa’s 1979 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

Lord, make me a channel of Thy peace that,

where there is hatred, I may bring love;
that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that, where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that, where there is error, I may bring truth; that, where there is doubt, I may bring faith; that, where there is despair, I may bring hope; that, where there are shadows, I may bring light; that, where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted, to love than to be loved; for it is by forgetting self that one finds; it is forgiving that one is forgiven; it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

CALL TO HOLINESS

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

Thus you are to be Holy to Me, for I the Lord am Holy;
and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.
Leviticus 20:26

VATICAN II

The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II 1962-65) was called to address the Church in the Modern World. Perhaps, it’s largest theme was the Universal Call to Holiness. addressed directly in the document, Lumen Gentium

To quote Lumen Gentium, Every Christian must seek God’s will in all matters and devote themselves to love of God and service to their neighbor by utilizing their own personal gifts in the duties, circumstances and conditions of their life. To be holy, then, is to be about God’s business above all else. In holiness each person comes to realize that one’s life is not about her/his self but about following God’s projects and plans.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HOLY AS GOD IS HOLY?

We are people set apart by God. We are not of this world but created in the eternal image of God. We grow in holiness as we grow in our image of the Creator. God did not have to create us. He needs nothing, but He wanted to share with us His divine life, perfect, unsoiled, shining in grandeur of the Almighty. At our Baptisms, we become a new creation, free of original sin and adopted children of God.

We are gods not by nature but by adoption. We begin the Our Father with the first petition, Hallowed be thy name. We call God Our Father with good reason and acknowledge He is holy, above all other gods. For us to be holy is to be like God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, One God, three Persons in relationship of Love. The Lover (Father), the Beloved (Son), and Love itself (Holy Spirit)

Holiness is not a human project but a response to God’s initiative. You are to be holy! Holiness is a separation from the unholy. God’s holiness is sheer goodness and light without any hint of evil or darkness. To confront God’s holiness is also to confront our sin.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48 The command “Be ye perfect” is not a command to do the impossible. God does not ask the impossible of us. All things are possible with God. God is going to make good His words, if we let Him. Our free will can stand in the way, though.

We can choose our self or God. Sin can stand in the way and it does have consequences. Just a quick look into the Old Testament from Genesis on…. Exile from Garden of Eden, The Great Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Babylonian Exile, Destruction of Jerusalem etc.

Holiness makes it necessary for us to separate from what is not holy. As our Creator, God knows best what is best for His creation. God gives his laws to make his people a people set apart: “You shall keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and observe them. . . . You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine” Leviticus 20:22-26

Jesus assumed our nature in order that by becoming man he might make us gods. Jesus shed his blood for our ransom and purification, so that we might be redeemed from our wretched state of bondage of sin.

The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”: this is why the Word became man…so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine son-ship, might become a son of God.” Catholic Catechism #460

In the middle of the Mass there is a very significant gesture that summarizes the entire Christian story. After the priest offers the bread upward in preparation for consecration, he next turns to the chalice and after pouring in the wine, he takes the cruet of water and places just a drop, praying, “Through the Mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in Your Divinity, as you humbled Yourself to participate in our humanity.”

I will conclude with Psalm 23 a prayer I would suggest to say often and reflect at those times we feel the storm is too great, the waves too high, the depths too low and our hearts lashed by every demon we can possibly imagine. Psalm 23 gives me great consolation and encouragement to stay the course as I am reminded that Jesus is my Good Shepherd, seeking me, carrying me home.

PSALM 23

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall lack.
In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me;
He restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. You set a table before me in front of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days.

PRAYING THE PSALMS 4

PRAYER

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN,

SINGER, AUTHOR OF PSALMS

INTRODUCTION

On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5 (Luke 23:46)

PSALM 118

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercy endures forever… In danger I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is with me; I am not afraid; what can mortals do against me?

The LORD is with me as my helper…Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one’s trust in mortals. Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one’s trust in princes. Let Israel say: his mercy endures forever… Let those who fear the LORD say, his mercy endures forever.

The LORD, my strength and might has become my savior…This is the day the LORD has made; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD…. You are my God, I give you thanks; my God, I offer you praise. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

REFLECTION

We are filled with gratefulness for the mercy of God which provides us refuge from the storms of life, and slavery to sin here on earth. Embrace an attitude of gratitude! Give thanks always for God’s providential care. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

PSALM 124

Let Israel say, Had not the LORD been with us, when people rose against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, for their fury blazed against us. Then the waters would have engulfed us, the torrent overwhelmed us then seething water would have drowned us.

Blessed is the LORD, who did not leave us to be torn by their teeth. We escaped with our lives like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare was broken, and we escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth

REFLECTION

God is our refuge, more powerful than any other god we may be serving. We are truly blessed that our God is all powerful, Almighty. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.

God loves us and will rescue us from any threat to our bodies or souls. With God all things are possible!

PSALM 130

Out of the depth I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. .If you, LORD, keep account of sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness…I wait for the LORD, my soul waits and I hope for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak… let Israel hope in the LORD, For with the LORD is mercy, with him is plenteous redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all its sins.

REFLECTION

The Lord not only freed Israel from physical slavery but more importantly freedom from slavery of sin.

People, captivated by habitual sin cry out of the depths of their hearts for relief. The Lord hears those cries. with him is plenteous redemption God wills the salvation of all. Stay the course!

PSALM 139

LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all. Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, far too lofty for me to reach.

Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; I lie down in Sheol, there you are. If I take the wings of dawn^* and dwell beyond the sea. ,Even there your hand guides me, your right hand holds me fast. If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light”^*Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know. My bones are not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me unformed; in your book all are written down my days were shaped, before one came to be. How precious to me are your designs, O God….

REFLECTION

Oh my God, continue to probe me, prod me, turn me around in the right direction. Let me realize in the deepest part of my heart that I was made by you with a specific design in mind, a share in your divine life.

Let me begin to share in this divine life here on earth through the Sacraments, corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and adherence to the Gospel. Lead me home to the fullness of my being with you forever and ever!

JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS

FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION AUGUST 6

CATHOLIC FEAST DAYS

COMMENTARY

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY

On August 6th, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. In this extraordinary event, found in the Synoptic Gospels and the 2nd Letter of St. Peter, Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John. The evangelists record that our Lord’s face shone like the sun and that his clothes became white as light. Then, Moses and Elijah appears to them and conversed with Christ.

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON

WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED
MATTHEW 17:5
A bright cloud then casts a shadow over the group and a voice speaks saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The disciples fall prostrate and are very much afraid. Jesus, however, tells them to rise and not to be afraid.

The voice of God the Father from the cloud hearkens back to the cloud that guided the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus is the New Moses. Elijah paved the way for Christ, announcing His coming, the true God among the pagans of his time. Christ fulfills what the prophets foretold of Him.

Both before and after the transfiguration, Jesus told the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and die at the hands of the elders, saying, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” Matthew 17:22-23. The three disciples who saw the glorified Lord were given a vision meant to strengthen them for the difficult days ahead when Jesus would be arrested and crucified.

CONCLUSION

Jesus shows plainly that He is the King of Glory, the One sent by God to redeem Israel. St. Peter noted, Lord, it is good that we are here. Matthew 17:4 We too must cherish every moment we are in the presence of God.

Let us reflect back on the times in which we have caught subtle, or not so subtle, glimpses of the glory of our Lord. Perhaps while reading Scripture where we have encountered the majesty of God. Or perhaps moments that occurred at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or in our adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during Holy Hour.

In our prayer, ask Jesus to reveal himself more deeply to us. Simply enjoy His presence and peace. Let the Glory of God wash over you and fill you with fortitude to endure present difficulties in order to share in that Glory one day.

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” Matthew 17:5. These words of the Father affirm Jesus’ mission. Ask yourself, “Am I confident in the mission God has for me?” If you are unsure of God’s will for your life, spend extra time in prayer asking that he reveal it to you.

Thank Him at the beginning and the end of each day. Praise His Name always! Jesus’ transfiguration gives us a glimpse of the transformation we will experience at the resurrection. On the last day, we too will be raised from the dead. Like Jesus on Mount Tabor, our bodies will be transfigured and glorified.

JESUS WELCOMES US INTO HIS GLORY

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…. a holy city, a New Jerusalem, coming down from God…,
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God..
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain…
REVELATION 21:1-4

WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED A SIGN OF CONTRADICTION

1 Comment / CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

CHRIST CRUCIFIED a stumbling block to Jews, foolishness to Greeks 1 CORINTHIANS 1:23

COMMENTARY

We need a Savior and what a great one we have, God himself. God emptied himself even to death, death on the cross that we might have life. Our first parents in Eden were told by God if they chose their will over God’s will, they would surely die, “but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 Let us join the prophet Isaiah in proclaiming that Jesus, our Savior and Lord, “was pierced for our offences, crushed for our sins; and upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole. By his stripes we were healed” Isaiah 53:5

St. Paul tells it like it is for us Christians “WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED” 1 Corinthians 1;23. Paul was bold. Are we bold when it comes to preaching the Good News, Jesus died, was buried, and is risen for our sake.I used to have a problem when gazing upon the cross because like so many, all I saw was suffering and death.

Then my perspective changed The Cross is a sign of contradiction. I saw the love of Christ with His open arms embracing the whole world. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

God’s love for us is beyond all our understanding. But we believe any how in God’s infinite love for us because God told us who He is to Moses on Mt. Sinai after delivering the tablets, “the LORD passed before Moses and proclaimed: the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin…. Ex. 34:5-7

This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and claim us as your own.” Exodus 34:9

We, too, are stiff necked people, stubborn in our ways of looking at things. Some cry out I don’t want any restrictions on my FREEDOM. Hmm, how is that going in your ordinary lives in this world? God is not restricting our freedoms. We are not FREE to sin. Sinning does not make us free but a slave to sin and its consequences, addiction, dysfunctional families, hate envy, greed…”Our hearts are restless until they rest in God. St. Augustine

What Commandments of God take away anything we need? They are not restrictions on our freedom but a self-help list to live our lives to the fullest. A man fully alive is the glory of God. St. Iraenseus. We are made in the image and likeness of God who is all good. “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25

God gives his laws to make his people a people set apart, a sign to other nations. “You shall keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and observe them. . . . You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine” Leviticus. 20:22, 26 Holiness thus necessitates a separation from that which is unholy.

After giving the Beatitudes, Jesus said to his disciples, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect Matthew 5:48 How can that be? For man it is impossible but with God anything is possible.” Matt. 19:26

Holiness is not a human project but a response to God’s initiative, an imitation of who God is. To confront God’s holiness is also to confront our sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 3:23

CONCLUSION

We must radiate holiness to renew the church. Men and women saints have always been the instrument and sign of renewal. The answer to a world in need of transformation is for us to be the sign. We must ask the Lord Jesus Christ for the strength and courage to be true disciples and not hearers only.

Is the Cross, a sign of life or of death? Does it speak of sin or forgiveness? Despair or hope? Is it gruesome or consoling? It is all of these, The Cross of Christ, fully embraces every dimension of our lives. But as blood and water gush from Jesus’ side, life prevails over death; mercy over sin; hope over despair; consolation over misery? Thus, we call the Friday on which Christ died “Good Friday.”

The Cross, for believers, is not so much a symbol of pain, but rather of the Love God has for us. Jesus said at the Last Supper, “No one has any greater love than to lay down his life for his friends” and that’s precisely what Jesus, our Good Shepherd did when he gave his own life on the Cross so that we, might live. The Cross is not a symbol, principally, of agonizing suffering, but of the mind-blowing love God has for us.

CHRIST VICTORIOUS

PRAYING THE PSALMS (3)

PRAYER

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN, SINGER,

AUTHOR OF PSALMS

INTRODUCTION

On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5 (Luke 23:46)

PSALM 101

I sing of mercy and justice; to you, LORD, I sing praise. I study the way of integrity; when will you come to me? I act with integrity of heart within my household. I do not allow into my presence anything base. I hate wrongdoing; I will have no part of it. May the devious heart keep far from me; the wicked I will not acknowledge….

Haughty eyes and arrogant hearts I cannot endure. Whoever follows the way of integrity, is the one to enter my house… No one who speaks falsely can last in my presence. Morning after morning, I clear the wicked from the land, to rid the city of the LORD of all doers of evil.

REFLECTION

In this Psalm, the Psalmist prays that he will remain holy and not be subject to the enticements of the world. We live in this world but we are not to be part of this world. John 17:15-17 Our standards are much higher. There is a heavenly world, a holy world, alongside this earthly world, seek it, grasp it. By example build the reign of God in this world that we may persevere into the heavenly kingdom.

PSALM 103

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with mercy and compassion, Who fills your days with good things.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in mercy. He will not always accuse, and nurses no lasting anger; He has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our wrongs deserve….

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows how we are formed, remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like the grass; he blossoms like a flower in the field. A wind sweeps over it and it is gone; its place knows it no more. But the LORD’s mercy is from age to age toward those who fear him….

REFLECTION

We acknowledge God’s infinite mercy and beg that His mercy continues as we are fallible, a fallen people. We are mere dust formed Creator God who loves us even to death on the cross and intends us to live in His holy image with Him for all eternity.

We may wander away for a bit but His mercy and forgiveness calls us back. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 We know God in our very being now, some call it a conscience but God calls it our hearts.

PSALM 111

Hallelujah! I will praise the LORD with all my heart in the assembled congregation of the upright. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Majestic and glorious is his work, his righteousness endures forever…He gives food to those who fear him, he remembers his covenant forever…The works of his hands are true and just, reliable all his decrees, Established forever and ever…holy and fearsome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who practice it. His praise endures forever.

REFLECTION

Here we acknowledge the great works of the Lord that may be found by those who study and read Scripture

God gives us food for the soul. The fear of the Lord is beginning of wisdom. Here fear is not so much about God’s final judgment on us as a profound awe of who God is and who we are. Our good lies in humble acceptance and trust in self-abandonment into His hands. Trust in God who wills the salvation of all.

PSALM 115

Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy and faithfulness. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven and does whatever he wills. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear, noses but do not smell. They have hands but do not feel, feet but do not walk; they produce no sound from their throats.

Their makers will be like them, and anyone who trusts in them. ^*The house of Israel trusts in the LORD, who is their help and shield…. Those who fear the LORD trust in the LORD, who is their help and shield. The LORD remembers us and will bless us…

REFLECTION

Here we are instructed about false idols. Our ancestors, the Hebrews, fell in and out of God’s blessings throughout the Old Testament. Even when Moses was receiving God’s Law on Sinai, the Jews below were making a golden calf.

Even today, we build golden calves. Where is your treasure? What do you follow? Idols today, you know will result in the same thing as it did in the Hebrew Scriptures. Separation from the one true God will result in disaster in our lives and risk our eternal life. Are our idols worth it? And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17

JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS

IS GOD’S LAW A BURDEN OR A DELIGHT?

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

JOHN 15:9-11

INTRODUCTION

According to John 15:9-11,Christ’s joy in us will be complete if we obey the commandments? Wait a minute, how is that possible? Won’t that meaning following rules. That may cause me suffering. What is the cost involved here to have this joy of Christ? Jesus can not tell a lie so it must be true. Whether we follow the Commandments of God or not, we still follow rules, we suffer, and we pay the cost in our every day lives.

So what is this complete joy of Christ. It can’t be filet mignon every night, a Tesla car, and a summer home on the Mediteranean Sea. These things are not available to everyone and God does not discriminate among his children. This joy must be possible to all God’s children. Jesus’ joy was that He and the Father are one. Union with God must be the answer.

When I sin, I separate myself from God. And it is not just separating from God but I mess up my life here on earth with all the consequences of sin. We were created to share in the Divne Life of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for all eternity. Perfect union. Perfect Beatitude. How can we begin this eternity while here on earth. Well, God has given us a plan, the best self-help book ever written.

God knows who He has created and what will make us happy and safe on our journey home. Of curse there was a temporaty glich in Adam and Eve our first parents. They messed themselves and us up with Original Sin, darkness of intellect, weakened will, and death. We needed a Savior, a great one in Jesus Christ, Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.

As God and man, Jesus could atone for the infinite offense against God and as human He could offer sacrifice on the part of our human race. Just as our first parents smeared the image and likeness of God in human nature, Jesus redeemed human nature and made possible union with God once more. He who sees me sees the Father John 12:45

The biblical story of the origin of the Ten Commandments suggests that Moses received them directly from God on Mt. Sinai around 1280 B.C. The Bible offers different accounts of the full text of the Ten Commandments; one in the book of Exodus and the other in Deuteronomy. The Catholic Church ascribes to the version in Deuteronomy and follows the division and enumeration provided in the Septuagint, the Old Testament translated from Hebrew into Greek that the early Christians followed.

“I AM THE LORD THY GOD, THOU SHALT NOT HAVE ANY STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.”

This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses. It asserts there is only One God. False gods can be anything that man puts before this One True God including people, fame, fortune and material things.

“THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.” The faithful are required to honor the name of God. It makes sense that if you’re to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then you’re naturally to respect the name of God with equal passion and vigor. You do not curse someone with the name of God, mock God, or dismiss God as irrelevant.

“REMEMBER TO KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.”

The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead. We take at least one day of the week to give thanks to God who cares for us 24/7. It is not about us it is about paying respect to the God of all. God has given us the means of worship. The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life.

One does not exuse themselves lightly from Sunday Mass.

The Sacraments of the Catholic Church, including attendance at Holy Mass as a Sunday Obligation, must be done in person. Watching Holy Mass on television does not fulfill one’s Sunday Obligation. Section # 2180 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the Sunday Obligation is satisfied by “attendance” at Mass.

“HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.”

This commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents. Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when they become old and infirm. You do not abandon your parents nor support euthanasia.

“THOU SHALT NOT KILL.”

Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust aggressor to preserve your own life isn’t considered murder or immoral. Abortion is the killing of an innocent child. That child is growing in the womb of the mother but is not the property of the mother any more than the live born child.

“THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.”

This commandment asks us to honor human sexuality according to natural law and Divine Law. Not only adultery of a married person having relations with someone other than their spouse but includes prohibition of other misuse of our gift of sexuality, fornication which is sex between unmarried people, prostitution, pornography, masturbation, homosexual activity, rape, incest, and pedophilia.

“THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.”

This commandment focuses on respecting and honoring the possessions of others. This commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property. The Catholic Church believes this commandment includes cheating people of their money, depriving people of fair wages, tax evasion and damage to other people’s property including random vandalism.

“THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.

The Eighth Commandment condemns lying. Because God is regarded as the author of all truth, the Church believes that humans are obligated to honor the truth. To lie about your neighbor may not be killing his/her body but you are killing their reputation and dignity owe to everyone made in image and likeness of God. As the old saying goes, a like goes around the world before the truth catches it. Before lying, think consequences it may make you bite your tongue.

“THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.”

This Commandment forbids the intentional desire and longing for immoral sexuality. To sin in the heart, Jesus says, is to lust after a woman or a man in your heart with the desire and will to have immoral sex with them. Lusting in the heart is a heartbeat from lustfull immoral actions.

“THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.”

The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting to or taking someone else’s property. This commandment condemns theft along with feelings of envy, greed, and jealousy in reaction to what other people have.

One can easily assume the consequences of sinning against God’s Commandments, the disastrous results when these commandments are not followed….Abusive relationships, dysfunctional families, the weak and vulnerable oppressed and bullied, no moral compass outside themselves, abandoned, ignored and diminished people who we deem not worthy of our respect and care.

CONCLUSION

The prevalent despair, obsessive behavior, and anxiety in our culture arise not from being moral, but from the abandonment of the moral law. Of course, happiness is mixed with sorrow and the inevitable tragedies of life. There are no perfect families, perfect marriages, perfect parishes—nothing human is perfect. Part of our moral quest and journey home to God and all the saints includes carrying our cross. God’s Laws are a delight!

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

1704 The human person participates in the light and power of the divine Spirit. By his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator. By free will, he is capable of directing himself toward his true good. He finds his perfection “in seeking and loving what is true and good.”

I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

WHAT PRAYERS DID JESUS PRAY

1 Comment / PRAYER

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!

KING DAVID, SONG WRITER, MUSICIAN,

SINGER, AUTHOR OF PSALMS

PRAYING THE PSALMS

INTRODUCTION

On the cross Jesus prayed from Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46) “Into thine hands I commend my spirit.” Psalm 31:5 (Luke 23:46)

The Psalms are given to us as the inspired word of God. Though God used human instruments, God is the true author of the Bible and Psalms of course. Since Psalms are the Word of God, the pray-er who prays the Psalms speaks to God with the very words that God has given to us. They are a school of prayer. When I pray the words of the Psalms, I don’t just think about how this is my prayer, I think about how it is the prayer of Jesus Christ before the throne of God. It is his prayer for his church and for the world.

PSALM 16

Keep me safe, O God; in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, you are my Lord, you are my only good…..

LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you have made my destiny secure. Pleasant places were measured out for me; fair to me indeed is my inheritance.

I bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my heart exhorts me. I keep the LORD always before me; with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure…You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

REFLECTION

In you I take refuge… Seek our refuge, our safe space always in God. He will not disappoint. We will never be alone in our affliction. God was present to His Son on the cross in His promise of Jesus’ glorious resurrection. He will be present in our crosses. Some He will remove, others He helps us carry. I keep the Lord always before me!

PSALM 25

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. My God, in you I trust; do not let me be disgraced do not let my enemies gloat over me. No one is disgraced who waits for you. Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior, for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD… Remember no more the sins of my youth remember me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, LORD. Good and upright is the LORD, therefore he shows sinners the way, He guides the humble in righteousness, and teaches the humble his way.

LORD, pardon my guilt, though it is great. Who is the one who fears the LORD? God shows him the way he should choose…Look upon me, have pity on me, for I am alone and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart; bring me out of my distress…Preserve my soul and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for in you I seek refuge… I wait for you, O LORD.

REFLECTION

Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths…Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God has given His only begotten Son to show us the path. Jesus remains with us in the Eucharist, not only providing presence, a share in divine life of the Trinity, but also the graces to support us on our journey home.

PSALM 51

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love. In your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes

So that you are just in your word, and without reproach in your judgment. Behold, I was born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me…^.

Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities. A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit. Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit. I will teach the wicked your ways so that sinners may return to you…. For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.

REFLECTION

For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me….A clean heart create for me, God….Help me God to have true sorrow and repentance for my sins. Help me to confess my sins with true candor for they have offended you who is all good and unworthy of my disobedience. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart.

PSALM 103

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion, Who fills your days with good things,

REFLECTION

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! I bless your Holy Name. You alone do I serve. Where else would I go? You are God over all. My very breath is given to me by you, Lord of heaven and earth. From dust I came, to dust I will return. Bless the LORD, my soul! I ask you, plead with you, beg you that I too, like your Son will be resurrected on the last day and united forever with the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

JESUS PRAYING THE PSALMS TO HIS FATHER

DEVOTION TO THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine Amen

INTRODUCTION

THE REAL PRESENCE

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

1323 At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed,

1357 We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his creation, bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, have become the body and blood of Christ. Christ is thus really and mysteriously made present.

1391 Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet: “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.” The Eucharist is also an anticipation of the heavenly glory

SCRIPTURE

The word of God is so powerful that whatever he commands is carried out. When he says, “Let there be light” Genesis 1:3, at creation, light suddenly appears. At his word, the sun, moon, and stars are brought into existence. The power of that divine word is also in Jesus.

When Jesus tells a paralyzed man, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk”, the man is immediately healed and begins to walk John 5:8-9. When Jesus tells the dead Lazarus to come out of the tomb, Lazarus comes out risen from the dead. John 11:43-44.

When Jesus took bread and said, “This is my body”, and took wine and said, “This is my blood” Matthew 26:26-28. These sacred words bring about what he says. Catholics believe that the same divine word in Christ that had the power to heal, raise people from the dead, can change bread and wine into his Body and Blood”.

COMMENTARY

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!

It doesn’t get much better than that but we don’t have to wait until the end of time to unite ourselves with Jesus’ glorious body and blood. At the Last Supper for all time Jesus gave us His greatest gift, His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity to share at every Mass, every day, everywhere in the world!

The Church has historically encouraged the month of April for increased devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. “The Church in the course of the centuries has introduced various forms of Eucharistic worship i.e. visits of devotion to the tabernacles; Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament; solemn processions, especially on the Feast Day of Corpus Christi; and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament publicly exposed .

REFLECTIONS

The Celebration of the Eucharist is a memorial, an act of thanksgiving, and a sacrifice; a memorial of the Last Supper , an act of thanksgiving in gratitude for the gift of salvation and we offer ourselves along with Jesus in sacrifice through the un-bloody offering of bread and wine. “Do this in remembrance of me” Luke 22:19

The Lord Jesus, “the way, and the truth, and the life” John 14:6, speaks to our thirsting, pilgrim hearts, our hearts yearning for the source of life, our hearts longing for truth. Jesus Christ is the Truth in person, drawing the world to himself. In the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus shows us, in particular, the truth about love which is the very essence of God. It proclaims God’s everlasting love and everlasting presence!

If I look at the Eucharist through the lens of Jesus the Bridegroom Messiah, another meaning comes to light. If Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is his bride, the Lord’s Supper is not just a memorial, or a banquet of “thanksgiving,” or a sacrifice; it is also a wedding banquet in which Jesus gives himself entirely to his bride, the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. This kind of self-gift is only really possible if the Eucharist is not just a symbol of Jesus, but is truly His body and blood, soul and divinity. It is the “marriage supper of the Lamb” Revelation 19:9,

Jesus’ Passion and death is not about pain and suffering but God’s sacrificial gift of love to us that we might live. In this very messy world of incomprehensible death and tragedy, cling to Jesus, run to Him. Hug him, stay close…..He is our only refuge in this spiritual battle between good and evil.

“TO WHOM SHALL WE GO!” JOHN 6:68

HOLY HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Christ is present in the Most Blessed Sacrament to manifest his great love for us. You may wish to break the hour into 4 fifteen minute sessions. The first 15 minutes we may devote to the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament…Spend this time in ADORATION. Think of the marvel of this great reality: Christ, the God-Man, is truly present in his divinity as well as his humanity, body and soul before me.

PRAYER OF ADORATION

Lord, thank you for this hour of Eucharistic devotion. I adore you as the infinite and Holy One of God. You and the Father are one and you promised that we will be one in You… May Your Holy Spirit be with us. Send Him constantly to us as You promised. As I look at this mysterious sign, the white host, my eyes tell me nothing of who is there, but faith affirms in my heart that You, my Lord and God, are there. I thank You for this precious gift of faith. Amen.

The next 15 minutes may be devoted to THANKSGIVING. Let words of thanksgiving rise up in your soul, or just simply give thanks to God for his presence here in such a remarkable way. Take time to recall and thank God for other special blessings and wonders of God: your family, vocation, gift of life, opportunity to be in his Presence, special friends, etc. Thank him for his love for you, for his unfailing help in trials and difficulties.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May I live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to me…

Dedicate the next 15 minutes to PETITION. First of all, ask Jesus here present in the Holy Eucharist for the grace he wants most for you: the great blessing of redemption and eternal salvation….for you, for each member of your family, your friends, people of you neighborhood and parish, for all mankind. Pray for conversions… Pray for the sick and lonely, the discouraged, our youth, the unborn, our country, its leaders. for our Holy Father, and for all priests and religious ….Pray for vocations to complete the work of Christ.

PRAYER OF PETITION

Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself to me. Behold I love you…if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love you more strongly. I cannot measure my love, but let my soul hasten to your embrace… This only do I know that it is not good for me when you are not with me, when you are only outside me. I want you in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God, is utter want. Amen.

Dedicate the last 15 minutes of the Holy Hour to ATONEMENT. A look into one’s own conscience first, for where we sin and where we need to ask for pardon and mercy. Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy! A look into the conscience of the world at large…the demeaning of others, insults and injuries inflicted around the globe, sins against life and the world we live in…are we good stewards…do we welcome the stranger…feed the hungry…care for the sick….. treat others as we wish to be treated….

PRAYER OF CONTRITION

O Lord, forgive me my sins; the sins of my youth, the sins of my age, the sins of my soul, the sins of my body; my idle sins, my serious voluntary sins, the sins that I know, the sins I have concealed so long and which are now hidden from my memory. I am truly sorry for every sin, mortal and venial, for all the sins of my childhood up to the present hour. I know my sins have wounded Thy tender Heart; O my Savior, let me be freed from the bonds of evil through your most bitter passion. O my Jesus, forget and forgive what I have been. Amen.

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD

WELCOME TO THE MARRIAGE FEAST OF THE LAMB