The celebration of the annual Feast of All Saints serves several purposes. One is to remind us of our own destiny according to God's plan. What is that? That we all become saints. What is a saint? A saint is one who shares in the divine life of God by grace and mercy. This sharing began in the sacramental waters of baptism when reconciliation, restoration, salvation and sanctification took place simultaneously. The four symbols of baptism: water, anointing with Chrism, the white garment, and the light of Christ, signified the new life of God we received. We were holy and were told that we now shared in the life of Christ, as priest, prophet and king. We were warned and encouraged to keep this new life in Christ unstained until we go out to meet him at the end of our earthly life. For if we died in Christ, we would be with Christ forever. In other words, we are to be saints in this life and saints in eternity. The Feast of All Saints reminds us of this call and invites us to renew our commitment to be saint now and then.
“Our
faith in Jesus is not our belief that Jesus, the Son of God, lived long ago,
performed great miracles, presented wise teachings, died for us on the cross,
and rose from the grave. It first of all means that we fully accept the truth
that Jesus lives within us and fulfills his divine ministry in and through us.
This spiritual knowledge of the Christ living in us is what allows us to affirm
fully the mystery of the incarnation, death, and resurrection as historic
events. It is the Christ in us who reveals to us the Christ in history.” (Henri
Nouwen) The more conscious we are of this divine presence within us, begun in
Baptism, restored in Reconciliation and renewed in the Eucharist, the more our
faith in him will be alive. The deeper our awareness the stronger we will be to
resist temptation, because “in him we move and live and have our being.” The
conviction of St. Paul needs to be rooted deeply within us because of this
divine presence. “In him I can do things who strengthens me.” “I live now, not
I, but Christ lives in me.”
It is easy for each of us to say that critical word which hurts another, to seemingly reject another, to be impatient with another. In doing so, we do not realize the deep wound we inflict upon the other's heart and memory. We are not aware of how such remarks and actions can wrongly shape the other's self concept. Instead of such abuse, the person needed understanding, compassion, love and comfort. Jesus is our model in this regard. he was imposed upon, even when he was tired. Yet, he healed those in need with compassion. He was not dismissive but attentive, for the people were like sheep without a shepherd. The parable of the Good Samaritan is an illustration of his own life. He wept at the sufferings of others and went out of his way to minister to their needs. He says to us: "As I have done out of love and compassion, so you must do."
CORRECTION:
MEN'S MASS IN NOVEMBER HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED
FROM NOVEMBER5, 2016
TO NOVEMBER 19, 2016
AT 7:30AM AT BISHOP JACOB'S HOUSE, 107 ALBANY DR, HOUMA, LA.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AND BRING A FRIEND. BISHOP JACOBS
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. The journey from Galilee to Jerusalem took him through the town of Jericho. This was the town that Joshua and the Israelites conquered as they entered the Promised Land.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.
Being a tax collector marked him as one who was disliked by the local people. His wealth came from the additional commissions he was able to keep from the taxes of the people.
He must have heard of Jesus’ reputation. He may have even known Matthew, who was a tax collector before becoming a disciple of Jesus. He was curious to see Jesus.
The primacy of grace is at play here. Without knowing it, he was being motivated by God to seek to see Jesus.
The irony is that Zacchaeus sought with great effort to see Jesus, only to discover that Jesus was seeking him.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
How did Jesus know his name? Was it a word of knowledge? Had they met before? If so, why would Luke say: "he was seeking to see who Jesus was?"
The grace of salvation was prepared for by the grace of wanting to see who Jesus was. Zacchaeus responds to the different graces he is receiving.
And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
Zacchaeus is known to the local people who have also heard that Jesus was passing through their town. They have no kind words for him, for in their eyes he was a public sinner. For Jesus to stay at his house was contrary to their understanding of the Law.
How often do we judge others from their public life?
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."
As Matthew left his past behind him, Zacchaeus is willing to do the same.
The first step to discipleship is acknowledgment of sin, repentance and a firm decision to turn away from sin and to turn to Jesus.
And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
God gives the initial grace, we respond to that grace and God grants us salvation.
How many people at the same scene had received a similar grace but did not respond to it and as a result did not experience the mercy of Jesus?
How often have we not responded to the grace from God which would have brought us to a deeper relationship with God? What blocked us? Sin? Fear? Lack of trust? Shame?
How do we apply the lesson of this event to our life?
St. Paul speaks about being a slave of Christ. What does he mean? A slave belongs to another, like property; serves another; is obedient to another no matter what is asked. In a world that exploits slavery or a world that abhors slavery, Paul's concept does not make sense and is rejected. But in faith, we believe and profess that Jesus is our Lord and Master, our God and King. How radical do we submit our total life and possessions to him? How radical do we embrace the will of the Lord in all things? If we do, we are going contrary to the world that wants to enslave us or the world that rejects our slavery even to God. To the extent that we are a slave of Christ, to that extent we are truly free. But to the extent we are not, to that extent we are in bondage. Another of the Christian life's many paradoxes. Yet, this slavery to Christ leads us to eternal life in Christ, while any other slavery will lead to eternal life alienated from Christ.
Today's Gospel reading is about the Kingdom of God. Jesus uses two parables: the mustard seed and the leaven in the flour. Each allows itself to die to self in order to be transformed; to allow the law of nature to bear fruit. In our lives, Pope Francis sees this to be the docility to the Holy Spirit. Only when we yield to the lead of the Holy Spirit will transformation and growth take place. Otherwise, we will remain in the bondage of rigidity. Peter followed the inspiration of the Spirit and entered the house of a Gentile, who sought to know more about Jesus. If Peter had remained bound by the Law, he would not have acted thus. Under the penalty of becoming ritually unclean, the Law forbade such an action. But transformation and a fresh revelation takes place in Peter, only because he yielded to the grace of the Spirit. How attentive and docile are we to the lead of the Spirit in our life?
"Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma." (Eph 4:32-5:2) The key words in this passage to guide our actions are: "Be imitators of God...live in love, as Christ loved us." The bar is deliberately set high. As God, in Christ, has shown his love to us, so must we do to others. No option. We can't be faithful children of the Father, if we don't do what he shows us in Christ.. Authentic love is always sacrificial, demanding death of the self in some way. That is the way of Christ, the way of the cross. It can only be done by the grace of God, which is freely given, but not always embraced. Our focus cannot be self but other, that other being God.
St. Paul says: "I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, and magnanimity." Here is our challenge today. We are called to be disciples of the Lord, seeking holiness of life and witnessing to others by our life and actions. And the virtues we should strive to exercise today are humility, gentleness and magnanimity. To do all things with humility and not arrogance, knowing and living in the truth, without forcing it on others. To be gentle and respectful in our speech towards others. To open our hearts to others as God opens his heart to us, with all our faults and shortcomings. Jesus opened his heart to the woman caught in adultery, not condemning her but not condoning her lifestyle, challenging her to turn away from sin. What will all this achieve? Peace in our hearts and in our relations with God and others. The fruit of this peace with be the authentic unity God desires.
"By habitually thinking of the presence of God, we succeed in praying twenty-four hours a day. The continual remembrance of the presence of God engenders in the soul a divine state."(St. Paul of the Cross) This takes a lot of practice, but the results are worth it. If we believe that we are sons and daughters of God and that he dwells within us, as we share his divine life, that is where we start. We start with this given reality. As we become more attentive of the many graces God gives us during the day, these become signs of his loving presence. Even in times of difficulty, God is present to see us through. Start now. Be aware of the Lord's presence within you and in your surroundings and circumstances.
Go to Joseph: Six
Reflections on St. Joseph
By Fr. Francis Peffley
Joseph the Just Man
John Paul II in his apostolic exhortation “The
Guardian of the Redeemer” calls Joseph the just man. What does that mean? It
means that he was a holy man. A righteous man. A man of honesty, integrity, and
virtue. St. Joseph is the greatest and holiest saint after the Blessed Mother
herself. In fact, some of the Doctors of the Church said that there was no
grace ever given to any of the Saints (except Mary) that was not given to St.
Joseph as well.
St. Thomas Aquinas says that God gives grace
proportionate to our office and to our state in life. So if you are a husband
and father, you will be given the grace to be a holy husband and father. When
someone has been ordained a priest he will be given the grace to be a priest.
Think how much grace St. Joseph received to be the foster father of the Son of
God and the virginal spouse of the Immaculate Conception. So St. Joseph is that
just man. He is the greatest of Saints because he was the closest one to Jesus
and to the Blessed Mother.
As fathers and husbands you are called to
holiness ‑ an obligation of every member of the Church. It is not just the
priests and nuns, but everyone who is called to holiness. Every single person
has this vocation ‑ the universal call to holiness. We should ask ourselves,
“Am I developing the virtues that St. Joseph has? Am I developing the integrity
and character of St. Joseph?”
Joseph the Obedient one.
Joseph was truly obedient to the will of God in
his life. The Angel said, “Have no fear about taking Mary to be your wife.” As
soon as Joseph knew God’s will for him, he obeyed. When the angel told Joseph
that Herod was planning to destroy the child, Joseph immediately got up and
began the flight to Egypt.
Some people ask if St. Joseph was old. This is
due to the apocryphal writings of the early church, ancient writings which were
not divinely inspired, or approved by the Church as Sacred Scripture. These
ancient writings say that when Joseph married the Blessed Mother he was 89
years old, and that he died at the age of 111. There is nothing in the Bible to
suggest that St. Joseph was so old. We can be assured that Mary didn’t have to
push St. Joseph in a wheel chair through the desert. Actually, I believe that
Joseph was young and strong. Obviously older than the Blessed Mother; perhaps
in his 20s or 30s. He was her guardian and protector. Scripture speaks about
Mary’s betrothal to a man named Joseph. It does not say he was an old man, as
Simeon or Zachary. So Joseph wasn’t as old as some would like to claim him to
be. Even in the ancient catacomb of Priscilla, Joseph was drawn without a beard
showing him to be a young man.
But Joseph was an obedient man. Whenever he was
warned in a dream he always obeyed the will of God. He never questioned Divine
Providence. Even though Mary was 8 3/4 months pregnant, Joseph had to believe
it was God’s will for them to leave Nazareth and go down to Bethlehem. This was
to fulfill the prophecy of Micah that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem.
Joseph abandoned himself to the will of God. Ask yourself these questions: “Am
I obedient to the will of God? Am I obedient to the Ten Commandments? Am I
obedient to the teaching of Christ and the teachings of the Church on marriage
and family life?” Go to St. Joseph to become obedient sons of the Church.
Joseph the Silent One.
There are no recorded words of St. Joseph in the
entire Bible. There are words in the Old Testament for the great patriarch that
we can apply to St. Joseph. But in the New Testament there are no recorded
words for St. Joseph. He’s always there, though, as a silent presence. In fact,
even his death is wrapped in silence. There is no account as to how Joseph was
buried. He’s a man of silence. A strong man. A man with a deep interior life.
Silence in our life helps us develop a life of prayer. Joseph was a man of
prayer who listened to the word of God. He was not distracted by the many
exterior things ‑ he was always a man of interior life. Why? Because God lived
in his very house.
We picture St. Joseph as a silent worker, as a
craftsman, who suffered in silence as well. He did not complain, and he did not
grow angry at God and say, “Why are you doing this, why do we have to flee to
Egypt?” He was a man who accepted these things in silence. We should ask
ourselves, “Do I have enough silence in my life? Do I spend enough time in
prayer with Jesus? Do I listen to Jesus when he speaks to me during the Sunday
readings? Do I spend time in the Blessed Sacrament chapel listening to Jesus
who is truly present? Do I use my speech for lying, gossiping or backbiting?
Or, do I truly follow St. Joseph by being a man of integrity and silence?
Joseph the Example.
Imagine the kind of man Joseph was. God the
Father picked Joseph out of the whole human race to be the man to raise his
only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. When you get a baby sitter you don’t just pick
anyone, even if it is for only a few hours. Imagine entrusting your only son to
the care of another person. That is why adoption agencies have to be careful in
selecting to whom they entrust other people’s children. That is why God chose
the very best. He chose St. Joseph to be a great example.
St. Joseph was an example to Jesus in his words
and in his actions. He has been called the World’s Greatest Father. Joseph was
truly a father to Jesus in every way except for physical generation. He was the
father who taught Jesus how to speak, how to read, and how to make doors and
plows. Note the example that St. Joseph gave the Christ child and remember the
saying, “Your example shouts so loudly I cannot hear what you say.” Isn’t that
the way children look at their parents? What was the example that St. Joseph
gave to the Christ child? He was the perfect example, the world’s greatest
father, the educator of Jesus.
Joseph homeschooled Jesus and taught him the
virtues. This was the Son of God who always had the beatific vision, but (as
the catechism says) he had to grow in the experiential, and had to develop as a
boy develops. Jesus looked up to St. Joseph, even imitating his mannerisms. Let
us ask ourselves, “What examples are we giving? What example do you give to
your wife? To your children? Do you teach your children the faith? Do you study
your own Catholic Faith by reading at least 10 ‑ 20 minutes every day? Do you
make good use of your travel time to deepen your faith, so you can be a good
example to your wife and children? Do you go on retreats? Are you living out
your vocation as leader of your family?”
Joseph the Patron.
St. Joseph is our benefactor who prays for us.
Joseph is the patron Saint of fathers, husbands, and workers. We should always
pray that we will have the same kind of death that St. Joseph had, dying in the
arms of Jesus and Mary. He is the patron Saint of a happy death, which means
dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary and Holy Mother Church. Go to St. Joseph
for the grace of a happy death.
He is also the patron Saint of the universal
Church. Everything that St. Joseph did for Jesus he now does for the Church.
Why? Because the Catholic Church is the mystical body of Christ himself. The
Blessed Mother is the mother of the Church and St. Joseph is the foster father
and guardian of the Church.
St. Joseph lately has become the patron Saint of
selling houses. I have to wonder about Aunt Selma selling her house by burying
a statue of St. Joseph facing east. I have to wonder if that is what God really
wants us to do. If you want to sell your house, place a statue of St. Joseph on
your mantle and do a nine-day novena to him. You don’t have to suffocate the
guy! Keep him there and ask his intercession. He will help you sell your house
or keep your job in every way. Remember that Joseph is the protector and the
guardian of the whole Church, as well as ourselves as individuals. Ask yourself
the question, “Do I pray to St. Joseph every day? Do I pray to him for a happy
death?” Pray to him for your whole family that you will have a happy death. And
ask St. Joseph to help you protect your family from all the immorality on TV or
in the media.
St. Joseph the Helper of the Blessed Mother.
St. Joseph was the virginal spouse of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. In God’s plan of salvation he was a loving husband, kind,
considerate, affectionate, and self-sacrificing. St. Joseph had an awesome
responsibility with the Blessed Virgin. They worked as a team. St. Joseph had
the responsibility for spiritual leadership since he was the head of the
family. God’s message from the angel was revealed to him even though the
Blessed Mother was much holier through her Immaculate Conception. Obviously,
Jesus as the Son of God and creator was far greater, but St. Joseph was chosen
because he was the head of that family, just as every one of you is the
spiritual head of your family.
Joseph and Mary worked as a team. Remember TEAM
spells “Together Everyone Achieves More.” Develop teamwork with your wife. I
love the story that Zig Zigler tells of courtship after marriage using the
example of Belgian horses. These huge Belgian horses could only pull 8,000
pounds individually. But when they are harnessed together, two horses working
together can pull 32,000 pounds of weight. Isn’t that amazing? It almost defies
every law of mathematics. So when you are joined with your spouse in an effort
to move your family towards God, you will accomplish much more than if you were
to do it individually. Ask yourself this question, “Am I a helper to my
spouse?” Your vocation is really to get your spouse and your children to
Heaven. This is your ultimate vocation in life.
Let us reflect on St. Joseph: that Just
man, that loving leader, that Obedient man; let us reflect on his Silence,
his Example, and his Patronage of our own lives and of the
Church, and let us to try to imitate St. Joseph the Helper of Mary. God
bless you
"My confidence is placed in God who does not need our help for accomplishing his designs. Our single endeavor should be to give ourselves to the work and to be faithful to him, and not to spoil his work by our shortcomings." St. Issac Jog
ues Do you think he is saying "Get out of the way and let the Lord work through you"? Sometimes we allow our faults and shortcomings get in the way of the Lord, rather than allow him to use our faults and shortcomings to accomplish his works. Another way of saying this is "surrender our plans and follow his lead". His ways are not our ways and our ways are not his. Like the passengers on a two seated bicycle, God is on the front seat with the handle bars directing the journey. We are on the back seat peddling. Easy? No! Necessary? Absolutely!
OPPS! CORRECTION!
OCTOBER’S MASS FOR MEN AT BISHOP’S HOUSE WAS CANCELED ON THE FIRST SATURDAY. IT IS NOW RESCHEDULED FOR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2016
7:30AM AT 107 ALBANY DR.
HOUMA, LA.
INVITE OTHER MEN TO ATTEND WITH YOU.
BISHOP SAM JACOBS
OPPS! CORRECTION!
OCTOBER’S MASS FOR MEN AT BISHOP’S HOUSE WAS CANCELED
ON THE FIRST SATURDAY. IT IS NOW RESCHEDULED FOR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2016
7:30AM
AT 107 ALBANY DR.
HOUMA, LA.
INVITE OTHER MEN TO ATTEND WITH YOU.
BISHOP SAM JACOBS
Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.
Have we found ourselves at times falling into this same mind-set?
Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
Jesus was fond of using extreme ends of the spectrum to show the contrast. Here we have the externally devoted religious person and the external public sinner.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
Do you hear the self-righteousness of the Pharisee? The focus was on him. His religious works gives him superiority in his eyes over others. It is almost like God should be grateful to him rather than seeing his need for God.
"Took up his position" Where do you think he stood in the Temple to pray? Why do you think he took that position? Was he there to satisfy himself or God?
He presumed that his adherence to traditional forms of external piety is an automatic guarantee of divine blessing. He sadly overlooked his need for God’s mercy. But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
What opposite position did the tax collector take? Where did the truth lie between their two positions and words?
He recognized that he was a sinner. So he pleaded for mercy from God, not as a merit but as a gift.
Our sinfulness is greater than our deeds of goodness many times. If, as we believe that God sees the heart, do you understand the attitude we need to have when we come before the Lord in prayer? I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
If humility is truth, what is Jesus saying? We can impress others, but God sees us as we are. Even the Pharisee was a sinner in need of the mercy of God. In that sense he and the tax collector were on the same level before God. What made the difference was one recognized his need for God’s mercy and the other did not. How do we apply this parable to our own way of life before God and others?
In the midst of the desolations St. Paul experienced in his life, he had the faith consolation that, abandoned by others, the Lord stood by him. He could have easily despaired in his desolation, but he didn't. Why? Did he recall the example of Jesus, his role model? In the depths of his own human desolation, Jesus knew in his heart that the Father stood by him, for he was the beloved Son. Desolation and feeing abandoned is part of the human journey. God gives us the grace at those moments to profess in faith that he is faithful to his promise to be with us always. Lord, help me to remember this in my times of desolation and darkness.
"So it is with him who stores up for himself, and is not rich in what pertains to God." (Lk 12:21) What does this mean? At the end of life what matters is not my earthly treasures but my heavenly one. Recall the words of Jesus in another place. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be." If my heart desires God more than anything else, then my life is in God. But, if the desires of my heart are rooted elsewhere, then my life is focused there. St. Ignatius of Antioch said: "My desire is to belong to God." Today, take time to examine your desires, your focus, the treasures you are storing up. And if need be: "Repent and return to your first love." Your encounter with Jesus as Lord and Savior is your true and lasting first love. No one else will be able to satisfy the deepest longing in your heart. St. Augustine captured this when he said: "Our hearts are restless, until they rest in you, my God."
Today's Gospel talks about the need to avoid the leaven of the Pharisees. What was that? Hypocrisy! To be double faced or doubled tongued. Living a double life. Externally appearing to be holy but internally being full of sin. Saying one thing but doing another. The hypocrisy of Judas: having decided to betray Jesus but siting at the table of fellowship. We say "yes" but we mean "no". To speak a lie rather than the truth. Paul accused Peter of hypocrisy when the latter ate with the Gentile converts but then withdrew because of the Judaisers. Where in my life do I find this leaven of sin, even in small things? Lord, I repent of any hypocrisy in my life. Let me live in transparency and truth!
What is our identity? Pope Francis tells us to look to what God has done in our lives. We are chosen by him; we have been forgiven by him; we have been given a mission by him. Paul in the Letter to the Ephesians tells us: "God chose us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and immaculate in his sight, in charity, for the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has gifted us in his beloved Son." We are not an accident. Whether we were wanted or not by our parents, God wanted us. Secondly, even when we came into the world alienated from him because of the sin of Adam, God reconciled us through the death of Jesus in the waters of baptism. Even when we, on our own, sinned and separated ourselves from God, he forgave us. We are a forgiven person. Thirdly, our mission is to respond in love to the gifts of God through growing in holiness and oneness with God as well as to share with others the marvelous things God has done for us. Our happiness lies in embracing our true identity with gratitude.
10 Steps to Overcoming Pornography Addiction By Stephen Arterburn
1. First, you must acknowledge the
addiction exists. Many who are caught in the trap of
addiction will adamantly deny the problem. He
who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and
forsakes them will find compassion. –
Proverbs 28:13
2. You must recognize that what you
are doing is wrong. Addicts find a way to justify
their problem in their mind. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the
Father, but is from the world. – I John 2:16
3. You must not blame others – “If my wife/husband were just more affectionate.” … “If
women/men were not so seductive.” Adam blamed Eve and she blamed the serpent.
Instead, you must begin to take responsibility for your actions.
4. Make yourself accountable to
another trustworthy person. Everybody needs a “safe” person to share their
struggles with. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one
another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can
accomplish much. – James 5:16
5. You must recognize that “will
power” is not the answer. At a weak
moment, your “will” may fail you. By admitting that you are in need of God’s
help, you open access to His supernatural intervention in your life. You must
yield your will to God’s will. That’s when He can begin a new work in your
life.
6. Study the Word of God concerning
sexual purity. Therefore putting aside all
filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the Word
implanted, which is able to save your souls. – James 1:21
7. You must destroy any pornography
in your possession. You can’t wean yourself off
pornography. Think of the hidden pornography in your home as a ticking time
bomb that will ultimately destroy your family and marriage.
8. You must learn to flee temptation. Self-deception may enter when you think you can play with
fire without getting burned. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not
proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it. Turn away from it
and pass on. – Proverbs 4:14,15
9. Give yourself time to work
through the process of recovery.
More often than not, God chooses to take us through a learning and growing
process, that can be very painful. Victory over addiction should be viewed as a
marathon, not a sprint.
10. It is a cliche, but you must
approach your addiction one day at a time.
Look for little victories and rejoice in the progress you’re making. Recovery
is a cinch by the inch, but a trial by the mile.
Jesus taught us by his life that the path of fulfilling the will of the Father is that of humility and humiliation. He humbled himself by embracing our humanity in all things but sin. He embraced the humiliation of death by crucifixion. Though he was True God and True Man, he was falsely accused, cruelly treated, abusively mocked and deliberately degraded. The intention was to strip him of all dignity. In his humility, which is rooted in love, he endured the worse onslaught of humiliation so that we may be saved from the bondage of sin and eternal separation from God. He calls us to learn from him the fruit of true humility, when we experience humiliation at the hands of others. Humiliation is destructive if not grounded in humility. Humility comes from the realization that I am who I am in the eyes of God, nothing more, nothing less. Humiliation doesn't detract from this truth of who I am and to whom I belong.
Jesus
told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always
without becoming weary.
This parable is found only
in the Gospel of Luke.
This encouragement to pray
always is also found in 1 Thess 5:17.
How often we find ourselves
in this state of mind. We pray and nothing happens. So we
practically stop praying. This happens because we don’t believe that God hears
us. In this parable Jesus teaches us the importance of continuing to pray even if
there seems at the moment to be no response.
He
said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected
any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render
a just decision for me against my adversary.’
Widows
were often powerless and vulnerable at that time. Many depended on the support of
others, mainly family.
Maybe
the reason the judge seemed to ignore her was that her adversary may have been
a rich friend of his whom he didn’t want to alienate.
For
a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is
true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall
deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”
As
she persisted in her petition, the parable urges us to be persistent in our
prayer. We should persevere in faith and tirelessly petition God for our needs.
She is pleading, not for a
handout, but for justice, that which is due to her. The judge was acting
indifferent, at first, to her need which was a violation of justice. He
eventually caved in because of her persistence and what she was asking for was
her due.
The
Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his
chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer
them? I tell you, he will see to it that
justice is done for them speedily.”
God
will come to our aid, not because we are pestering him, but because our
persistence reflects our trust and faith in him.
But
when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
That is a haunting question. In spite of the
difficulties of our human life, will our faith in him as our Lord and God, continue
to be present, even when our prayers do not seem to be answered? How strong is
your faith in the midst of tragedy and struggles?
"I live by the mercy of Jesus to whom I owe everything and from whom I expect everything." (St John XX111) All is mercy! From the beginning of my human existence to my sharing I n the divine life of God, it is your mercy, Lord, that has so graced me. From the moment of redemption in the waters of baptism to the completion of the fit of salvation at my last breath, mercy alone is the reason. I earned nothing because of any merit or any personal due. My response can only be acknowledgement, gratitude and sharing about and extending your mercy to me with others.
"For freedom Christ has set you free. Do not return to the yoke of slavery." Lord, you have set us free from the bondage of sin, which in justice deserved eternal separation from you. But in your great mercy, through your death on the cross, I have been set free. How ungrateful would I be if I freely choose to the state of alienation from you. And yet that is what I have done in the past and am capable of doing in the present. Instead, by your grace,let me remain faithful and grateful to this gift of freedom, by turning away from anything that will enslave me again. This is a day to day decision. This freedom is never to be taken for granted but always cherished for the gift it is.
“The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.” (Archbishop Fulton Sheen) How blessed are we to be given such a great gift from Our Lady. Through praying the rosary we are led to reflect on the life of Jesus. Mary always points to and leads us to her Son. The rosary is only one of the many means we have to reflect on the mysteries of salvation. Yet in the words of St. Francis de Sales: “The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.”
Lord, as you received a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your humanity after your public commitment to do the Father's will, so you breathed on the Apostles after your resurrection and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit." Then, on Pentecost they and 120 others experienced a fresh release of the gifts of the Spirit. It is clear that you desire all to receive and to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. "If you then....know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" To ask means not only to be receptive and not closed, but to desire to receive all that the Father wants to give us. This is not a one time gift from the Father. If we desire to grow in holiness as well as fulfill our call to be missionary disciples, we need to ask the Father regularly for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. On a regular basis pray this prayer from your heart: "Come, Holy Spirit, Come." Let it truly be the cry and desire of your heart.
Guidelines
for Growth in Holiness
Seek and desire to become a saint. Make that a priority in
your life.
“Do not conform
yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you
may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Authentic, self-sacrificing,
other-focused love for others is the key. The first other is God himself. “You
shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all
your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” “Love one another as
I have loved you.”
Let prayer begin, undergird and end
your day. As Paul says: “Pray unceasingly.” This is more an attitude of prayer
than saying a lot of words. Try to spend at least 15 minutes each day in
quality prayer.
Celebrate Mass, the greatest
prayer, definitely each Sunday, but once a week besides, if possible.
If possible, visit the Blessed
Sacrament at least once a week for a quality period of time.
Try to celebrate the Sacrament of
Reconciliation at least once a month or every other month.
Read the Word of God regularly.
Instead of spending most of your
free time watching TV, carve out time to do spiritual reading for at least 15
minutes. Feed your heart and mind with the thoughts of other holy people.
Every night before going to bed, do
a short review of the day. For the good things that happened, thank God. For
the sins you committed, ask forgiveness and see what needs to be done not to do
the same tomorrow.
Ask our Lady to
help you to please Jesus in all you do.
Once a year try to make a retreat.
"If the Americans were as expert in spiritual matters as they are in business affairs, all of them would be saints." (Blessed Seelos) Do we have our priorities in right order? If the call to be holy is our vocation as Christians, how much time and energy are we spending in this endeavor? Without neglecting the responsibility to provide materially for our family, are we providing for them and ourselves spiritually? We know, but we don't always act on it, that we will not take anything with us at the time of death, except our relationship with God. Holiness is growing in love with God. It wasn't a casual question when Jesus asked Peter: "Do you love me more than others?" Nothing else will eternally matter. In a scale of 1-10 ( with 10 being the highest), where would our love for God be? Where do you want it to be at death? What needs to change to enable you to reach that goal?
As
Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from
him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
·
Because lepers were
unclean, they were not allowed either in the Temple or in the Synagogue. They
were ostracized from others, less in contact, they would render others ritually
unclean. For the most part, they lived outside in their own community.
·
Notice their cry: “Have
mercy on us!” They probably had heard of Jesus’ healing ministry. Hearing he was coming through their area,
they hastened to meet and petition for healing.
And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the
priests.”
· Notice he doesn’t touch
them as he had done before. He doesn’t say, “Be healed.” By his command, he was
telling them that if you believe that I have healed you, go to the priests to
confirm it.
· Jesus said this because
only when they have recovered, and fulfilled the Levitical requirements, could
they be reinstated into the life of the people.
· At the moment there was not
change in their condition. They came as lepers and they left as lepers. What
was different was the conviction in their hearts that Jesus had done something.
As they were going they were cleansed.
· This is not the first time
that people left Jesus, believing in his word and latter their faith in Jesus’
word was confirmed. Recall the Centurion who came seeking the health of his
servant, or the woman whose daughter was possessed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying
God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.
· The first thing to note is
that one of them returned, glorifying God with gratitude and faith in Jesus.
How often we experience God’s mercy and grace but do not respond with
gratitude!
· In fact, should not our
whole day be a prayer of gratitude to God for all his blessings just that day?
Gratitude opens us up to the more that God desires to give us.
· The second thing to note is
that Jesus points out that the one who returned with gratitude was not a
legalistic Jew, but a Samaritan who was to the Jews a scum.
· God shows no partiality,
for all are his sons and daughters, which is how we are to treat others.
Jesus
said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other
nine? Has none but this foreigner returned
to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has
saved you.”
·
The other nine were healed
and were satisfied. One returned thanks and experienced the further grace of
God, salvation.
·
Jesus wants not only to
heal our bodies but to bring the healing grace of salvation for our souls.
·
As you reflect on this
passage, what applications can you make in your life?
·
What is God saying to you?
"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows." (Francis of Assisi) It is all about attitude! We can live in the dark shadows of life or we can move into the brightness of the light. As we look out of the window at the world after a storm, we can celebrate the blue sky or we can groan at the muddy earth. We can look to God for hope in all things or we can look to self and feel overwhelmed at times. We can open our eyes in the morning with ugh on our lips and heaviness in our heart, or we can praise God and be open to his marvelous grace. It is a matter of attitude and attitude is a choice. No, life is not perfect. But it is how we approach the imperfect that makes the difference. Too simplistic? Try it. "A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows."
Jesus teaches us through the Parable of the Good Samaritan about his own life and about our life in imitation. What did the Good Samaritan, Jesus, do? He saw one in need of mercy. The man (each of us), abandoned along the road of life, was in misery, having been beaten, broken and dispossessed of human dignity by the Evil one through the pleasures of sin. Others, on the journey of life, who were bound by the Law, passed by oblivious of the real human condition in need of salvation. Jesus, the Good Samaritan, came, saw and responded by laying down his life, embracing this human condition, taking on the sins of the world, so that each of us, in misery, through divine mercy could be healed and restored as the child we truly are. We cannot save as Jesus saved. But to the extent possible, we can show mercy wherever we encounter misery. We are not meant to eradicate all misery, only to do whatever we can to alleviate the misery of this one person. There is only one Good Samaritan, but in imitation, we are called to be a good disciple Samaritan. What will we do today?
