Rogation Tuesday, May 3, 2016 Feast of Saints Philip and James
Zephaniah,
Chapter 3, verse 7
7I said, “Surely
now you will fear me, you will accept correction; They cannot fail to
see all I have brought upon them.” Yet the more eagerly they have done all
their corrupt deeds.
Zephaniah writes of the wickedness
of Jerusalem and God’s desire for its leaders to accept His correction in the
end it takes the act of God to set the world right. The prophet calls for the
people of Judah to change their hearts for real change begins in the heart. Transformation
happens from the inside out. John Maxwell[1]
recommends we practice the following to enhance our own leadership:
1.
Work in the
areas of your strength. We are most intuitive in the areas of our gifts
and interests.
2.
Explore the
opportunities in front of you. Our intuition comes most alive when we
size up the options near us.
3.
Discern root
causes for the issues you face. Work to get past superficial answers
and solve root issues.
4.
Analyze past
successes.
Study your victories and see if you find a pattern that reveals how you won
them.
5.
Listen to your
gut.
Effective leaders lead from their soul. Both your heart and your head have
answers.
Rogationtide Tuesday[2]
Today would be a good
day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so like farmers we must
till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our TALENTS and
look at in what ways we may offer our abilities to Christ to help build a
harvest for His Kingdom.
Philip and James
PHILIP,
born at Bethsaida, was one of the first followers of Our Lord. After receiving
the Holy Ghost he preached the Gospel in Scythia and Phrygia (Turkey, Syria and
Iran), converting great numbers to the faith, and was finally crucified and then
stoned at Hierapolis, in Phrygia.
Prayer
to St. Philip
O St.
Philip, chosen disciple of the Lord, who brought Nathaniel to Christ, who most zealously
preached thy Lord, Jesus Christ, and out of love to Him willingly gave thyself to
be nailed to the cross, and put to death, obtain, I beseech thee, for me, and for
all men, grace with zeal to bring others to the practice of good works, to have
a great desire after God and His truths, and, in hope of the eternal blissful contemplation
of God, to bear patiently the adversities and miseries of this life. Amen.
JAMES,
the son of Cleophas, called the Less, and on account of his sanctity surnamed the
Just, and for his kinship with Christ known as His brother, was, with his brother
Judas Thaddeus, chosen an apostle in the second year of Christ's ministry. St. James
was the first Bishop of Jerusalem. One day, being requested to preach against
Christ, he publicly proclaimed Him to be the Messiah, in Whom men were bound to
believe, at which the Jewish priests became so enraged that they threw him down
from a pinnacle of the temple, cast stones upon him, and finally killed him outright
with a fuller’s rod (tool used in wool making)
Prayer
to St. James
O
St. James, who lived so temperately and strictly, who, like thy master, prayed so
earnestly and constantly for thy tormentors, I beseech thee that thou wouldst
procure us from Jesus grace, after thy example, to live sober and penitential lives,
and to worship God in spirit and in truth. Obtain for us, therefore, the spirit
with which thou didst write thine epistle, that we may follow thy doctrine, be diligent
in good works, and, like thee, love and pray for our enemies. Amen.
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