Acts, Chapter 16,
verse 27-30
27 When the jailer
woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew [his] sword and was about
to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to
yourself; we are all here.” 29 He asked for a
light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul
and Silas. 30 Then he brought
them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
In this
work of God’s Mercy, Christ frees the jailer from the jail of fear and sin.
Paul
was not overwhelmed by circumstances. The earthquake had not numbed him with
fear. He had no abject terror of death. Paul had his wits about him. He heard
the jailer's cry, heard the sword being drawn - perhaps, he saw the shadow of
it cast by the dim lamplight upon the prison wall and spoke out in mercy to
save the man's life from the consequences of sin.
Our fallen natures continually drag us down. We have little power to withstand the inclination to sin when it is strong upon us. We scarcely live a day of our lives without falling short of the standards we set ourselves let along the standards that God sets. It is very doubtful that the Philippian jailer thought along these lines exactly - nor do most people who are converted! The jailer just knew that he needed saving from the way he was. He compared himself with Paul and Silas and he was disgusted with the life he led. He hadn't the fortitude, inner joy, peace or consideration for others that Paul exhibited. The jailer feared death. He had no sort of relationship with God. He had no hope of life beyond the grave because he had no assurance that God was interested him let alone loved him. The jailer was lost, and he knew it.
Paul
and Silas replied to the jailer's question as one: "Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." Paul did not
point the jailer to Jesus' saving work but to Jesus himself. This is because in
the first instance the human heart must submit to Jesus. A sinner has to
answer, "I will," to that command of Paul and Silas. Saving faith involves
submitting, surrendering and yielding to Jesus. The rebel has to shoulder arms
and say to the Savior, "I give in. Please rescue me."
According
to Tradition, when St. Veronica saw Jesus fall beneath the weight of the cross
He carried to his pending crucifixion, she was so moved with pity she pushed
through the crowd past the Roman Soldiers to reach Jesus. She used her veil to
wipe the blood and sweat from His face. The soldiers forced her away from Jesus
even as He peered at her with gratitude. She bundled her veil and did not look
at it again until she returned home. When she finally unfolded the
veil--history does not clarify exactly what kind of material the veil was made
from--it was imprinted with an image of Christ's face.
Things to
Do:
- Visit this website for
more about St. Veronica.
” In character, in manner, in style, in
all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
We live in a complicated world, with taxes
and devices and every imaginable complication the world can provide. Wouldn’t
it be nice if we could just take some time to keep things simple? To winnow
life down to the bare essentials and hold onto it like the precious thing it
is? Simplicity Day encourages you to do just that, to let go of all of life’s
complications and live a day… simple. Simplicity Day was born out of a need to
be free from the complications of the world and to allow ourselves to just be
simple. Celebrate life through simplicity by turning off your devices, getting
rid of complicated things and just let life be about living for a day. One of
the great conundrums of the modern world is that the more opportunities and
options you have the less happy you’re going to be. Some of the happiest people
in the world have been determined to be those who live in uncivilized areas
concerning themselves only with what they’re going to eat that day and where a
good place to sleep is. We can learn much from them, though few of us would
want to go to such extremes. However, we can all benefit from just cutting out
the things that make our lives difficult. Simplicity Day is about getting rid
of these complications and culling from your life what doesn’t bring you joy.
How to Celebrate Simplicity Day
·
Step
away from the computer and find a sunny nook with a cup of tea and a book to
pass the time.
·
Walk
in the forests or through fields and just feel the sun on your skin and the
sounds of birds and insects. These moments will be the ones that can truly set
you free. During these long moments take the time to relax and consider how you
want to proceed in your life.
·
What
can you cut out that buries you under complications that bring no benefits? Are
there people or things you can remove that will make your life a little happier
each day by the removal of these complications?
·
These
questions can lead you to a simpler, happier life. Wouldn’t it be nice to have
peace of mind? Simplicity Day can lead the way.
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
15. You persist in
being worldly, superficial, scatter-brained, because you are a coward. What is
it but cowardice not to want to face yourself?
Daily Devotions
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
·
Please
Pray for Senator
McCain and our country; asking Our Lady of Beauraing to
intercede.
[2]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-07-12
[3]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/simplicity-day/
[4]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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