Wednesday in the Octave of the
Assumption
John,
Chapter 9, Verse 22
His
parents said this because they were AFRAID of the Jews, for the Jews had
already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be
expelled from the synagogue.
In like manner Amazon which I use to publish this work
has just suppressed two of my books, with no explanation and will not allow
them for sale-hmmm-I wonder if I have been expelled from the synagogue.
Christ had healed a man born blind to these parents on the Sabbath and in this verse the Jews questioned them about it and they were frightened as to the outcome.
The synagogue and the academy were the two institutions which preserved the essence of the Judaism of the Diaspora and saved it from annihilation. As the place of public worship, the synagogue became the pivot of each community, just as the Sanctuary at Jerusalem had been the center for the entire people. The synagogue, consequently, is the most important feature of the Jewish community, which is inconceivable without it.[1]
This was the equivalent to a social and spiritual death. To be expelled was alike to being made a leper and having a life of living death.
It was worse than being defriended on Facebook!
“When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. (John 9: 35-38).
Do you belong to any human organizations that have blinded you to the truth? Are you afraid of being expelled by others if you truly believed? Walk into the light of Christ and “Be not afraid”.
Opus Dei[2]
Work, family
life, and the ordinary events of each day are opportunities for drawing close
to Christ and making Him known to others. As the Second Vatican Council taught,
every baptized person is called to follow Christ closely, by living according
to the Gospel and making its teachings known to others. The aim of Opus Dei is
to contribute to that evangelizing mission of the Church, by fostering among
Christians of all social classes a life fully consistent with their faith, in
the middle of the ordinary circumstances of their lives and especially through
the sanctification of their work. The following are some of the main features
of the spirit of Opus Dei:
·
“Divine filiation is the foundation of
the spirit of Opus Dei,” said its founder, Saint Josemaría Escrivá. A Christian
is a child of God by virtue of baptism. Thus, the formation provided by the
Prelature seeks to foster among the Christian faithful a deep awareness of
their being children of God, and helps them act accordingly. It fosters
confidence in divine providence, simplicity in their dialogue with God, a deep
awareness of the dignity of each human being and of the need for fraternity
among all people, a truly Christian love for the world and for all human
realities created by God, and a sense of calm and optimism.
·
Ordinary life. “It is in the midst of the most material things of the earth that we
must sanctify ourselves, serving God
and all mankind,” said Saint Josemaría. The family, marriage, work – all of our
activities – are opportunities for drawing close to and imitating Jesus, trying
to practice charity, patience, humility, diligence, integrity, cheerfulness,
and all the other human and Christian virtues.
·
Sanctifying work means to work with the spirit of
Christ, to work competently and ethically, with the aim of loving God and
serving others, and thus to sanctify the world from within, making the Gospel
present in all activities whether they be outstanding or humble and hidden. In
the eyes of God what matters is the love that is put into work, not its human
success.
·
Prayer and sacrifice. The formation given by Opus Dei
encourages prayer and sacrifice in order to sustain the effort to sanctify
one’s ordinary occupations. Thus members strive to incorporate into their lives
certain practices of Christian piety, such as prayer, daily Mass, sacramental
confession, and reading and meditating on the Gospel. Devotion to our Lady
occupies an important place in their
hearts. Also, in striving to imitate Christ, they try to acquire a spirit of
penance by offering up small sacrifices, particularly those that help them
fulfill their duties faithfully and make life more pleasant for others, such as
renouncing small pleasures, fasting, almsgiving, etc.
·
Unity of
life. Saint Josemaría explained that Christians working in the world
should not live “a kind of double life. On the one hand, an interior life, a
life of union with God; and on the other, a separate and distinct professional,
social and family life.” On the contrary: “There is just one life, made of
flesh and spirit. And it is this life which has to become, in both soul and
body, holy and filled with God.”
·
Freedom. The members of Opus Dei are ordinary
citizens who enjoy the same rights and are subject to the same obligations as
any other citizen. In their professional, family, political, financial or cultural
activities, they act with freedom and personal responsibility, not involving
the Church or Opus Dei in their decisions, nor presenting those decisions as
the only Catholic solutions. This implies respecting the freedom and the
opinions of others.
·
Charity. To meet Christ is to find a treasure
that one cannot stop sharing. Christians are witnesses to Jesus and spread his
message of hope among their companions, with their example and their words.
“Side by side with our colleagues, friends and relatives and sharing their
interests, we can help them come closer to Christ,” wrote Saint Josemaría. The
wish to make others know Christ, which is a direct consequence of charity (that
is, love of God above all things and of one’s neighbor as oneself), cannot be separated
from the desire to contribute to finding solutions to the material needs and
social problems of one’s surroundings.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
Article 4-THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND
RECONCILIATION
III. The Conversion of the Baptized
1427 Jesus calls to conversion.
This call is an essential part of the proclamation of the kingdom: "The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in
the gospel." In the Church's preaching this call is addressed first
to those who do not yet know Christ and his Gospel. Also, Baptism is the
principal place for the first and fundamental conversion. It is by faith in the
Gospel and by Baptism that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that
is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life.
1428 Christ's call to
conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. This second
conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who, "clasping
sinners to her bosom, (is) at once holy and always in need of purification,
(and) follows constantly the path of penance and renewal." This
endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a
"contrite heart," drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful
love of God who loved us first.
1429 St. Peter's conversion
after he had denied his master three times bears witness to this. Jesus' look
of infinite mercy drew tears of repentance from Peter and, after the Lord's
resurrection, a threefold affirmation of love for him. The second
conversion also has a communitarian dimension, as is clear in the Lord's call
to a whole Church: "Repent!"
St. Ambrose says of
the two conversions that, in the Church, "there are water and tears: the
water of Baptism and the tears of repentance."
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 8
Daily
Devotions
·
30 DAY TRIBUTE TO MARY 3rd ROSE: Effective
Manner of Praying the Rosary
o
30
Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Individuals
with Mental Illness
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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