Tuesday, March 8, 2016

 Isaiah, Chapter 59, verse 19

Those in the west shall fear the name of the LORD, and those in the east, his glory, coming like a pent-up stream driven on by the breath of the LORD.

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. (Ps. 46:2-3)

Chapter 59 of Isaiah is about the effects of sin and how it delays our salvation. God is faithful because once we acknowledge the nature of our transgressions; God provides the divine intervention needed to save us. The proud (those from the West) fear the name of the Lord for they in order to be saved must acknowledge Him as King of heaven and earth rather than themselves. On the other hand, those from the East must acknowledge his glory or His teachings on justice and mercy given to His disciples being careful to avoid complacency.

Another version of the bible puts this verse differently; “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him”. By comparing these two versions of the bible we can learn that the enemy to our spiritual progress may sometimes be our pride and complacency.

Leadership and fasting[1]

The practice of fasting that pleases God and goes further than going without food. God does not delight in our denying ourselves but in us turning eyes from ourselves to others and begin to loosen the chains that bind others. God is calling us to live from His values and ethics not ours. Fasting is good in that it redirects our focus and helps us to bring the body back under the control of the mind and spirit but we must not fast while continuing to harbor destructive thoughts, assumptions and attitudes. Consider what God expects from the “Fasted life.”

1.      Liberate the oppressed.

2.      Share with the needy

3.      Shelter the homeless

4.      Clothe the naked

5.      Stop judging and accusing others

 

Rosary[2]

The Rosary is the foremost daily method of meditative prayer used by popes and saints alike. There are many forms of praying the Rosary such as the “The Seven Sorrows” Rosary and recently Pope John Paul II added the luminous mysteries. The Rosary has even been adapted to pray for the United States. Pious Germans have the custom of improvising a mystery-specific insertion for each Hail Mary. For example, while meditating on the annunciation, they pray, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus”(and they insert the words) “who died for our sins” then start again with “Holy Mary...The Rosary works, on a human level, because it engages the five senses. It involves our speech and our hearing. It occupies our mind and incites our emotions. We feel the beads with our fingertips. If we pray before a sacred image or better before the Blessed Sacrament we are transported into the lives of Mary and Jesus. The Rosary works best when we stop working and abandon ourselves like children to the time we are spending with our mother. The best place to pray the Rosary is with the family. Mother Teresa of Calcutta after enduring a vision of Calvary stated that Mary reassured her to: “Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary—the family Rosary—and all will be well.” To God and to the Blessed Virgin, all our efforts at prayer are precious, when we persevere in praying the Rosary, we become like little children, children of Mary, children of our heavenly Father.

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[1] Maxwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible.

[2] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 35. Rosary.