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.
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.
For as the heavens
tower over the earth, so his mercy towers over those who fear him.
Know Your Battle
Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we are
not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against
the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand. EPHESIANS 6: 10– 13
The ordinary activity of demons
is subtle and occurs within our thought life. They plant ideas within our minds
seeking to influence our reason, memory, and imagination— and ultimately, our
will. They use various methods to tempt us.
- First,
the demons tempt through deception.
(The Devil is the father of lies)
- Second,
demons tempt through accusation.
- Third,
the Devil tempts us through doubt
as he seeks to diminish our faith. (Don’t hesitate in faith)
- Fourth,
demons tempt us through enticement.
(Don’t take the bait)
- Finally,
demons can tempt us through provocation.
(Don’t give into vexations)
We should always remember that not all temptations
come directly from Satan and his minions. Many of them arise simply from our
own weakness and the habits of sin we have developed.
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
Mourning& Veiling[3]
Akin
to the asceticism of Lent is its mournful tone. The Church is
traditionally draped in purple or black, its organ silenced, and its altar
bereft of any flowers. At home medieval Catholics would avoid frivolity or
hilarity, and would wear black during either Holy Week or Good Friday.
There
is a special mourning custom that also begins on Passion Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Lent (Passion Sunday) (Sunday, March
18, 2018)
and ends when the Gloria
is sung during the Easter Vigil Mass: covering all sacred images (crucifixes, statues, etc) with purple
cloth in both church and home. This might seem counterintuitive, since one
would expect to gaze at a crucifix more during the season when the Passion is
being considered. Yet the Roman rite teaches by absence as well as by presence.
In an odd way, being denied access to the sacred images alerts you to their
presence all the more, in the same way that not having the sacrifice of the
Mass on the one day you would expect it the most, i.e., Good Friday, makes one
all the more aware of the Sacrifice that took place on that day. Covering
sacred images also adds immensely to the sense of sorrow and compunction that
should naturally accompany this somber period.
Daily Devotions
·
Manhood of
the Master-Day 7 week 5
·
Do
20 min. in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
·
In
honor of Purim—fast Thursday-Friday and Saturday evening/Sunday have a feast.
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
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