Sunday, January 10, 2016

Sirach, Chapter 9, Verse 16-18
16 Take the righteous for your table companions; and let your glory be in the fear of God. 17 Work by skilled hands will earn praise; but the people’s leader is proved wise by his words. 18 Loud mouths are feared in their city, and whoever is reckless in speech is hated.

It is natural to fear loud powerful men or women who can do us grave harm. What does a person do who finds themselves afraid of powerful, selfish and perhaps evil people? Naturally your choices are you can either fight, run, do nothing, come to a compromise or grow by developing a third alternative as described by the late Dr. Steven Covey[1]. That is to come to a solution that is better than you or your opponent, could have come up on your own. 

Next time you are faced with fear; resist the temptation to react in the classic fight or flight method and try to discover a way for everyone to win. That is not always possible but that should be your goal.

Catechism of the Catholic Church


II. THE VOCATION TO CHASTITY cont.

The integrality of the gift of self

2346 Charity is the form of all the virtues. Under its influence, chastity appears as a school of the gift of the person. Self-mastery is ordered to the gift of self. Chastity leads him who practices it to become a witness to his neighbor of God's fidelity and loving kindness.

2347 The virtue of chastity blossoms in friendship. It shows the disciple how to follow and imitate him who has chosen us as his friends, who has given himself totally to us and allows us to participate in his divine estate. Chastity is a promise of immortality. Chastity is expressed notably in friendship with one's neighbor. Whether it develops between persons of the same or opposite sex, friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to spiritual communion. Friendship is when two bodies become one soul (Chinese Cookie Fortune).

Baptism of Jesus[2]


"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near" (Is 55, 6).

These words from the second part of the Book of Isaiah ring out on this Sunday that ends the Christmas season. They are an invitation to go more deeply into the meaning for us of today's Feast, the Baptism of the Lord.

In spirit let us return to the banks of the Jordan where John the Baptist administered a Baptism of repentance, exhorting to conversion. Coming up to the Precursor is Jesus, and with his presence he transformed that gesture of repentance into a solemn manifestation of his divinity. A voice suddenly comes from heaven:  "You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased" (Mk 1, 11) and, in the form of a dove, the Spirit descends upon Jesus.

In that extraordinary event, John saw realized what had been said about the Messiah born in Bethlehem, adored by the shepherds and the Magi. He was the very One foretold by the prophets, the beloved Son of the Father; we must seek him while he can be found and call upon him while he is at hand.

In Baptism every Christian personally meets him; he is inserted into the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection and receives a new life, which is the life of God. What a great gift and what a great responsibility!




[2] HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II, Sistine Chapel, Sunday, 12 January 2003


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