Saturday, May 27, 2017
2 Chronicles, Chapter 26, Verse 5
He was prepared to seek God as
long as Zechariah lived,
who taught him to fear God; and as
long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.
As long as you seek the
Lord you will prosper. This verse is about the reign of King Uzziah.
Self-righteousness[1]
- King Uzziah reigns for 52 years
and does a whole bunch of awesome stuff. He wins wars, he makes allies, he
builds up cities, he develops agricultural systems, and he creates a
mighty army.
- But pride comes before a fall.
King Uzziah gets so powerful that he starts to get over-confident.
- One day, he decides that he'd
like to step into the Temple to make some offerings.
- Only the high priests can make
offerings in the Temple and they warn him to get out.
- While Uzziah's reading the riot
act to the priests, he breaks out in a huge rash all over his face right
there in the Temple.
- After that, he's considered
"leprous" so he can't enter the Temple ever again.
- He's so sick that his son
Jotham has to take over his kingly duties until he dies.
Humble
yourselves therefor under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in
due time. (1 Peter 5:6)
The Gift of Knowledge[2]
St. Thomas Aquinas
taught that the gift of knowledge brings to perfection the supernatural virtue
of faith, but it is also linked to the perfection of the cardinal virtues of
prudence, justice, and temperance. The way to cultivate the gift of knowledge
is to continue to study our faith: Take time to read sacred Scripture, perhaps
one chapter of the New Testament each day. In this manner, one would cover the
whole New Testament in less than a year. Read a section of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, just a section. Besides praying each day, 15 minutes devoted
to such spiritual reading fuels the soul so that the Holy Spirit can set afire
the great gift of knowledge; thereby, we can know the Lord and know His ways.
Saint Paul well captured this gift: “I have come to rate all as loss in the
light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ. For His sake, I have
forfeited everything; I have accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be
my wealth,” (Phil 3:8-9).
Daily Devotions/Prayers
·
Novena to the Holy
Spirit
Please pray for the intentions of
my wife Mary Katherine (Bitterly-Pure) for today is her birthday.
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