Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.

2 Maccabees, Chapter 14, Verse 22

Judas had posted armed men in readiness at strategic points for FEAR that the enemy might suddenly commit some treachery. But the conference was held in the proper way.

During our last episode we see that our Hero Judas, with the help of the All Seeing Almighty vanquishes the enemy. Judas wants peace and returns home but the enemy the devil never sleeps, and snip snap the Syrians invade again. This time under the leadership of a gangster called Nicanor; a crafty little snake who wants a peace treaty. In this verse we see Judas is being ready and prepared for any trouble; and his fear is justified.

Making and Breaking Treaties[1]

"When the Jews heard of Nicanor's coming, and that the Gentiles were rallying to him, they sprinkled themselves with earth and prayed to Him Who established His people forever, and Who always comes to the aid of His heritage." —2 Maccabees 14:15

Nicanor was sent again to fight Judas (8:9). Instead of fighting, he made a peace treaty and became a good friend of Judas. But this didn't last long. Soon Nicanor was hunting down Judas, blaspheming the Temple, and murdering the faithful Jewish elders. "Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh" (Jer 17:5). "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord" (Jer 17:7).

Prayer: Father, may I make a peace treaty with You by repenting of sin and surrendering my life to You.

Promise: "Therefore, O Holy One, Lord of all holiness, preserve forever undefiled this house, which has been so recently purified." —14:36

Lesson: When you play with snakes they often bite; don’t make treaties with the Devils children.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

CHAPTER TWO-YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Article 10-THE TENTH COMMANDMENT

IV. "I Want to See God"

2548 Desire for true happiness frees man from his immoderate attachment to the goods of this world so that he can find his fulfillment in the vision and beatitude of God. "The promise [of seeing God] surpasses all beatitude.... In Scripture, to see is to possess.... Whoever sees God has obtained all the goods of which he can conceive."

2549 It remains for the holy people to struggle, with grace from on high, to obtain the good things God promises. In order to possess and contemplate God, Christ's faithful mortify their cravings and, with the grace of God, prevail over the seductions of pleasure and power.

2550 On this way of perfection, the Spirit and the Bride call whoever hears them to perfect communion with God:

There will true glory be, where no one will be praised by mistake or flattery; true honor will not be refused to the worthy, nor granted to the unworthy; likewise, no one unworthy will pretend to be worthy, where only those who are worthy will be admitted. There true peace will reign, where no one will experience opposition either from self or others. God himself will be virtue's reward; he gives virtue and has promised to give himself as the best and greatest reward that could exist.... "I shall be their God and they will be my people...." This is also the meaning of the Apostle's words: "So that God may be all in all." God himself will be the goal of our desires; we shall contemplate him without end, love him without surfeit, praise him without weariness. This gift, this state, this act, like eternal life itself, will assuredly be common to all.

THIS WE BELIEVE

PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Beatitudes[2]

The fuller account and the more prominent place given the Beatitudes in St. Matthew are quite in accordance with the scope and the tendency of the First Gospel, in which the spiritual character of the Messianic kingdom — the paramount idea of the Beatitudes — is consistently put forward, in sharp contrast with Jewish prejudices. The very peculiar form in which Our Lord proposed His blessings make them, perhaps, the only example of His sayings that may be styled poetical — the parallelism of thought and expression, which is the most striking feature of Biblical poetry, being unmistakably clear.

The text of St. Matthew runs as follows:

· Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)

· Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. (Verse 4)

· Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)

· Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)

· Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)

· Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)

· Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)

· Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)

Candace’s Corner

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Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Purity

· Make reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday Devotion

· Pray Day 6 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops

· Tuesday: Litany of St. Michael the Archangel

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 21

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

[1]https://www.presentationministries.com/publications/bibleReadingGuide.asp?book=2+Mc#14

[2] https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02371a.htm

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