Today is my grandson Joshua's birthday please pray for his intentions.
For even when we came into Macedonia,
our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—external conflicts,
internal fears.
The devil
is the author of fear. The opposite
of fear is not bravery but love.
Christ showed his love for us by breaking the power of the devil by overcoming
death. He showed us His love by sharing our human nature. He asks us in the
gospel to love as He loved. ”I give you a new commandment: love one another as
I have loved you.” (John 13:34) Christ therefore restores Gods original intend
to give man life eternal and voiding the death that the devil had brought into
the world.
The fear of death is a fear based on the false conception that death marks the end of a
person’s kindred with God. Jesus deliberately allied himself with us in order
to be a merciful and faithful high priest in our behalf; expiating our sins as
one who experienced the same tests as we.
We usually
give in to our sinfulness when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired (HALT). To
halt sinful behaviors we must practice acts of love so that when we are hungry
let us give food to the hungry; when we are angry let us remember to secure
justice for the oppressed; when we are lonely let us remember to keep faith
with our brethren; and when we are tired let us take up the yoke of Christ; for
his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Ponder
this day if the Lord is calling you to the Priesthood or the religious life.
Amoris Lætitia[1] Love in Marriage Love is not boastful (95-96)
The word, perpereúetai, denotes vainglory, the need to be haughty, nit-picking
and somewhat pushy. Those who love not only refrain from speaking too much
about themselves, but are focused on others; they do not need to be the center
of attention. The word that comes next – physioútai – is similar, indicating
that love is not arrogant. Literally, it means that we do not become “puffed
up” before others. It also points to something more subtle: an obsession with
showing off and a loss of a sense of reality. Such people think that, because
they are more “spiritual” or “wise”, they are more important than they really are. Paul uses this verb on other
occasions, as when he says that “knowledge puffs up”, whereas “love builds up”
(1 Cor 8:1). Some think that they are important
because they are more knowledgeable than others; they want to lord it over
them. Yet what really makes us important
is a love that understands, shows concern, and embraces the weak. Elsewhere the
word is used to criticize those who are “inflated” with their own importance (cf. 1 Cor 4:18) but in fact
are filled more with empty words than the real “power” of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor
4:19). It is important for Christians
to show their love by the way they treat family members who are less
knowledgeable about the faith, weak or less sure in their convictions. At times
the opposite occurs: the supposedly mature believers within the family become unbearably arrogant. Love, on the other
hand, is marked by humility; if we are to understand, forgive and serve others
from the heart, our pride has to be healed and our humility must increase. Jesus told his disciples
that in a world where power prevails, each tries to dominate the other, but “it
shall not be so among you” (Mt 20:26). The inner logic of Christian love is not
about importance and power; rather,
“whoever would be first among you must
be your slave” (Mt 20:27). In family life, the logic of domination and
competition about who is the most intelligent or powerful destroys love. Saint
Peter’s admonition also applies to the family: “Clothe yourselves, all of you,
with humility towards one another, for ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace
to the humble’” (1 Pet 5:5).
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