Introduction to
Thessalonians
When Paul parted from Barnabas at the beginning of
what is called his second missionary journey, he chose Silvanus (Silas) as his
traveling companion. Soon afterwards he took Timothy along with him. Paul was
now clearly at the head of his own missionary band. About A.D. 50, he arrived
in Greece for the first time. In making converts in Philippi and, soon
afterwards, in Thessalonica, he was beset by persecution from Jews and Gentiles
alike. Moving on to Beroea, he was again harassed by enemies from Thessalonica
and hurriedly left for Athens. Silvanus and Timothy remained behind for a
while. Paul soon sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to strengthen that community
in its trials. Timothy and Silvanus finally returned to Paul when he reached
Corinth, probably in the early summer of A.D. 51. Timothy’s return with a
report on conditions at Thessalonica served as the occasion for Paul’s first
letter.
The body of the letter consists of two major parts.
The first is a set of three sections of thanksgiving connected by two apologiae
(defenses) dealing, respectively, with the missionaries’ previous conduct and
their current concerns. Paul’s thankful optimism regarding the Thessalonians’
spiritual welfare is tempered by his insistence on their recognition of the
selfless love shown by the missionaries. In an age of itinerant peddlers of new
religions, Paul found it necessary to emphasize not only the content of his
gospel but also his manner of presenting it, for both attested to God’s grace
as freely bestowed and powerfully effected. The second part of the letter is
specifically hortatory or parenetic. The superabundant love for which Paul has
just prayed is to be shown practically by living out the norms of conduct that
he has communicated to them. Specific “imperatives” of Christian life,
principles for acting morally, stem from the “indicative” of one’s relationship
to God through Christ by the sending of the holy Spirit. Thus, moral conduct is
the practical, personal expression of one’s Christian faith, love, and hope.
AUGUST 8 Wednesday
Thessalonians,
Chapter 3, Verse 5
5 For this reason, when I too could
bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had put you to the test and our toil
might come to nothing.
Have you ever worked really hard on something and then
had it just amount to nothing; at times I feel that way with this blog. At
those times I am reminded that IT is the tempter is putting me to the test. We
must push forward, if we know it is a good work; for it is the Lord’s work not
ours and we must be patient we may not see the harvest, but we will receive his
grace.
St. Dominic had for many years
preached against the errors of the Albigenses and other heretics, with such
zeal and profound ability that they were often convinced. But nevertheless the
results were unimportant; but few returned to the bosom of the Catholic Church.
In this discouraging state of things St. Dominic redoubled his prayers and
works of penance, and in particular besought Mary for support and assistance.
One day Mary appeared to him and taught him the Rosary. He zealously labored to
introduce everywhere this manner of prayer, and from that time preached with
such success that in a short period more than one hundred thousand heretics and
sinners were converted. The divine origin of the Rosary is testified to by the
bull of Gregory XIII. of the year 1577.
In his life Christ prayed the shema Israel
everyday that he worships the Father with his whole heart mind soul and
strength. Now through prayer we can mediate on the mysteries of the rosary and
see how Christ and Mary lived the shema and follow their lead.
Mind=Joyful mysteries
Heart=the Luminous mysteries
Soul=the Glorious mysteries
Strength=the Sorrowful mysteries
Ten
Reasons to Pray the Rosary[2]
Motivation is the key to carrying
out any worthy enterprise. Great men and great women have clear goals and
strong motivations. They know what they want, and they have a clear plan before
their eyes.
CEO’s in successful companies know what
they want, have goals, deadlines, and concrete steps to attain those goals.
Professional athletes have a determined determination to win. They
study their opponents’ weak points, capitalize on their own strengths and play
for victory. Therefore, to attain to any goal there must be a clear
plan and strong motivations.
Spiritual Goals and Objectives
Even more important for the human person
created in the image and likeness of God should be the goal and the motivation
to attain that goal. Our goal is very clear—to get to heaven. One
of the most efficacious means to attain eternal salvation with God in heaven is
through prayer. Prayer is the key to salvation. What oxygen is to our lungs so
is prayer to the life of our soul. For that reason Saint Augustine asserted: “He
who prays well lives well; he who lives well dies well; and he who dies well,
all is well.”
Still there is a powerful means and
intercessor before the throne of God who can help us to get to heaven and to
help us in our prayer life and motivate us to focus our energies on God and God
alone—the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary’s Favorite Prayer
Our Lady has a prayer that fills her heart
with joy—the Hail Mary and the most Holy Rosary. Every time the Hail
Mary is prayed with attention and sincere heart, Our Lady’s heart is filled
with joy. Therefore, let us offer ten points to motivate us to pray the most
Holy Rosary.
1. Our
Lady of Fatima. Our Lady of
Fatima appeared in Fatima, Portugal six times to three little shepherd
children: Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. In every one of these six apparitions
Our Lady said: “Pray the Rosary.”
2. Her
Title. Finally
at the end of her apparitions Our Lady gave herself the title: “Our
Lady of the Rosary.” Therefore, if Our Lady insisted six times to pray the
Rosary and actually called herself “Our Lady of the Rosary,” common sense tells
us that she really wants us to pray the Rosary!
3. Pope
St. John Paul II.
This great modern saint, as well as spiritual giant, strongly encouraged the
world to pray the most Holy Rosary. In his writing The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary, the
Vicar of Christ insisted that we pray the Rosary. He himself said at the start
of his pontificate that the Rosary was his favorite prayer.
4. For
the Sake of the Family. In this same document Saint Pope John Paul II
insisted that we pray the Rosary for the sake of the family which is under
attack and in crisis. With the growing numbers of separations and
divorces, with the legalization of same-sex unions, with so many children
without the warmth of the family, now more than ever we must pray the most Holy
Rosary. The Holy Father quotes the Rosary-priest, Father Patrick
Peyton: “The family that prays together stays together.”
5.
For World Peace.
The document of Saint Pope John Paul II came in the wake of the terrorist
attack in New York City with the Twin Towers. Therefore, another reason to pray
the Rosary now, more than ever, is for the sake of world peace. With the threat
of ISIS, nuclear arsenals, and general tensions growing among nations, the
Rosary can be our shield and safeguard. At the end of the First World War Our
Lady of Fatima stated clearly that wars come as a result of sin; and if people
did not stop sinning then a worse World War would erupt. Within twenty years,
the Second World War broke out. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
states that world wars are the net result of many individual wars waging in the
hearts of sinners, that spreads out to towns, cities, countries and continents,
and then boom—the huge war explodes. Sin produces war; prayer produces peace of
heart, mind and soul and harmony among peoples!
6.
To Save our our Children. Never have we lived in a society with so many
dangers, especially with respect to our children and teens. Of great importance
is the virtue of purity. The mass media, the modern electronics media, the
modern school and teaching agenda, billboards and posters, modern movies and TV
programs militate fiercely against the virtue of purity. And to be honest, we
live in a pornographic society! Devotion to Our Lady and the family
Rosary can serve as a shield against this onslaught and deluge of filth that is
descending upon the world, especially our children and young
people. In a word, we must shield our children in the most pure and
Immaculate Heart of Mary; she is an oasis, a refuge, and ark of safety and
protection! If you like Noah and his family as well as the animals sought
refuge and protection from the deluge in the Ark. We must find refuge in the
ark of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart—most certainly a safe refuge!
7.
To Order our Disorders. As a result of the Original Sin that we all inherit
in the moment of our conception, our life is marked with disorder. Our thought
process, our will, our emotional state of being, our soul, our intentions, our
family and social life—all have a certain disorder. Saint Ignatius of Loyola
suggests that we do the Spiritual Exercises so as to order the disordered in
our lives. Sin causes disorder; prayer brings order. Prayer to Our Lady
communicates to our soul and lives the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is a God
of order. Our Lady of Guadalupe with her own hands ordered the roses
in the tilma of Saint Juan Diego. By praying the most holy Rosary Our Lady can
help to order the disordered in our lives.
8.
For Interior Peace Of Mind And Soul. Another wonderful effect of
praying the most Holy Rosary is peace of mind, heart and soul. We all desire
peace and Our Lady of the Rosary also known with the title “Queen of peace” can
definitely attain for us this peace that our hearts so ardently yearn. Saint
Augustine defines peace as the tranquility of order. As the hymn reminds us:
“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”
9.
It’s a Biblical Prayer. Pope St. John
XXIII stated that the Rosary is a summary of the whole of the Gospel. They are
truly based on the Bible, even the prayers of the Our Father and the Hail
Mary have their foundation in the Gospels. Therefore, by praying the
Rosary fervently, we get to know Jesus and Mary better and better as presented
from the Word of God, we fall in love with them and then we become their fiery
and ardent Apostles in a world marked with so much coldness and indifference.
As Pope Francis reminded us in his Lenten message: There is a widespread
globalization of indifference because there is a lack of love of God in the
world. This love can be planted and ignited through love of Our Lady and the
Holy Rosary—a summary of the Gospels and a true Biblically centered prayer.
10.
To Conquer our Adversities. David had to fight against the ferocious and
malicious giant Goliath. Strategically, there was no way that the smaller,
inexperienced, unprepared shepherd boy could conquer the giant Goliath. It was
like an ant against an elephant. However, the Bible teaches us a very certain
truth: Nothing is impossible with God. David went with a total trust
in His God, the Lord of heaven and earth. We all know the ending! David shot a
stone from his slingshot; the stone riveted itself in the brow of Goliath, who
cascaded to the ground unconscious. David quickly drew the sword of Goliath and
cut off his head! Victory, due to the intervention of God! Today we are
surrounded by so many “Goliaths”, almost too many to count! However,
our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Let us turn to
the Queen of Heaven and earth and pull out our spiritual slingshot which is the
most Holy Rosary and win the battle. Jesus is the King of Heaven and earth and
Our Lady is the Queen. Let us find sure refuge under her heavenly mantle!
National Bowling
Day[3]
Roll
up to join the celebrations for Bowling
Day! This fun occasion aims to get more people involved in the sport.
Since the event was founded in the USA in 2011, it has proved to be a striking
success. Bowling is one of the world’s most popular participation sports, with
around 100 million enthusiasts. It appeals to all ages and both sexes, and many
people with disabilities are keen bowlers. The sport may date back to ancient
Egyptian times, as primitive bowls have been found in graves from around 5,000
BC. Much later, Henry VIII was a keen bowler, but banned working men from
taking part in case they neglected their duties. Thousands of centres are
offering free taster sessions for Bowling Day, so the ideal way to celebrate is
to take to the lanes. You could well be bowled over by how much fun it is.
"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."
40. Why are you hurt by what people say about you? How much worse you
would be if God were to leave you. Persevere in doing good and shrug your
shoulders.
·
Please
Pray for Senator
McCain and our country; asking Our Lady of Beauraing to
intercede.
[1] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[2]
[4]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment