Holy and Prone to Sin

"Father, may we receive your forgiveness and mercy as we celebrate the passion and death of the Lord…." (Prayer at Mass)

The life of the individual Christian is a microcosm of the life of the Body of Christ, of which the individual is a small stone in the building. The Church again and again asks for forgiveness and mercy from God because she needs it. The Church is holy and at the same time prone to sin, just like the individual Christian is holy because of the indwelling Spirit and at the same time prone to sin.

False Witnesses

"False witnesses have stood up against me, and my enemies threaten violence; Lord, do not surrender me into their power!" (Psalm 26: 12)

If you want to be my disciple, take up your cross everyday and follow me. Prepare yourself for the action of false witnesses and evil men who will threaten violence.

Lord, grant me deep faith; grant me courage, especially at the moment of crisis.

Offering up everything

"Lord, look with mercy on our offerings. May the sacrifice of Christ, your Son, bring us to eternal life …" (Prayer at Mass)

"Many brought a pound of costly perfume made from genuine aromatic nard, with which she anointed Jesus' feet." (John 12: 3)

Mary gave her first fruits to Jesus. She gave Him the very best.

Do I give my very best to Jesus?

• Time
  
• Talent
  
• Treasure
  

Lord Jesus, I offer you through the Immaculate Heart of Mary all my prayers, desires, hopes, sufferings, temptations, delays, obstacles and disappointments.

Lord Jesus, help me to give you always my very best. I want to give you not Magis but Maximus.

 

First Fruits

"Many brought a pound of costly perfume made from genuine aromatic nard, with which she anointed Jesus' feet." (John 12: 3)

Mary gave her first fruits to Jesus. She gave Him the very best.

Do I give my very best to Jesus?

• Time
  
• Talent
  
• Treasure
  

Lord Jesus, help me to give you always my very best. I want to give you not Magis but Maximus.

Wait for the Lord

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? / The Lord is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? ………./I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. / Wait for the Lord with courage; be stout-hearted and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27 ..)

If God is with me, who can be against me? If God is with me, I shall triumph over my foes. If God is with me, it is accomplished.

Yes, I shall see the bounty of the Lord in this land. I wait for the Lord with courage. I wait for the Lord until He answers me.

Call, Chosen and Anointed

"I, the Lord, has called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." (Isaiah 42: 6-7)

The Lord has called me for the victory of justice. God grasped me by the hand as I grasped JR the day he was lost. God is forming me; He is training me. He will set me as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations. God is calling me to open the eyes of the blind; to bring out prisoners from confinement and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

I can do all these things because I am His servant whom He upholds, His chosen one with whom He is pleased. He has put His Spirit in me. If God is with me, then it is accomplished.

Passion of Christ

"All-powerful God, by the suffering and death of your Son, strengthen and protect us in our weakness…" (Prayer at Mass)

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

Blood of Jesus, protect me.

Perfect Sacrifice

"Lord, may the suffering and death of Jesus, your only Son, make us pleasing to you. Alone we can do nothing, but may this perfect sacrifice win us your mercy and love…." (Mass Prayer)

Jesus Christ reconciled us to the Father through His passion and death. It is the perfect sacrifice sought by God. We commemorate this in the Mass. This is why the Mass has the power to win us the mercy and love of God.

It pays to be humble

"Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself…." (Philippians 2: 6-11)

Christ was humble. God raised Him up high.

Mary was humble. God raised her.

David was humble. God promoted him.

If I am humble, God will surely raise me.

A Well-trained Tongue

"The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning by morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back." (Isaiah 50: 4-7)

Father, give me a well-trained tongue. Bless me also with a well-trained hand. Lead me, guide me and use me.

God blessed these people with a well-trained tongue:

• Paul
  
• Augustine
  
• Josemaria
  
• Louis de Monfort
  
• Patrick
  
• John Chrysostom
  

Estrangement and Reconciliation

"Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your Son to be born of a woman and die on a cross, so that through the obedience of one man estrangement may be dissolved for all men. Guide our minds by his truth and strengthen our lives by the example of his death, that we may live in union with you in the kingdom of your promise." (Prayer at Mass)

Our sins caused our estrangement from God. Christ's obedience reconciles us to God.

Guide our minds by His truth: Truth as found in the Gospel and in the Bible.

Triumphing over Suffering

"Almighty, ever-living God, you have given the human race Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility. He fulfilled your will by becoming man and giving his life on the cross. Help us to bear witness to you by following the example of suffering and make us worthy to share in his resurrection…." (Prayer at Mass)

"By his stripes, we are healed." (1 Peter 2: 24)

Christ suffered and conquered death. He destroyed the fear of death and suffering for all of us. He suffered and overcame. If I accept the sufferings in my life that I cannot prevent, I too will triumph over the fear of sufferings.

Lord Jesus, help us to overcome the fear of suffering.

The Meek and Humble King

"Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." (Matthew 21: 1-11)

What a King we have in Jesus. Our King is meek and humble. It is thus Jesus presents Himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament – meek and humble. He comes to us in the Eucharist as a meek and humble King. This is the King who washes the feet of His servants.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours.

Baptism and New Life

"Ever-living God, in Baptism, the sacrament of our faith, you restore us to life. Accept the prayers and gifts of your people; forgive our sins and fulfill our hopes and desires…." (Prayers at Mass)

Through Baptism, we are given new life. The bread and wine we offer in the offertory symbolize the gifts of ourselves to God.

Inspite of Baptism restoring us to new life, sins continue to dog our footsteps.

Vital Information Systems

"The Jewish Passover was drawing near….." (John 11: 55)

Times and seasons are ordained by God. In 1999, I confided the following on the above scripture to my journal:

"It was ordained that Jesus, the Lamb of God would be sacrificed during the Jewish Passover. The sacrifice of Jesus marked the end of the old covenant and the beginning of a new one. Our God uses the symbolisms of timings to teach us about His plans. Now I know that my prayers for the Vital Information Systems this year, my Jubilee year will have the sympathetic ears of God."

Reflecting on the above today in June of 2008, I am amazed to see how God answered the prayer: Seekfirstweb.Com.

Mourning and Joy

"I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows." (Jeremiah 31: 13)

Those who sow in tears shall laugh when they reap. This is the word of the Lord.

God’s Saving Plan

"I shall save them from the acts of infidelity which they have committed and shall cleanse them; they will be my people and I shall be their God." (Ezekiel 37: 23)

God our Father is continually working to save us. The sacraments are the means through which God is saving us, cleansing us of our acts of infidelity.

As Easter Approaches

"God our Father, you always work to save us, and now we rejoice in the great love you give to your chosen people. Protect all who are about to become your children, and continue to bless those who are already baptized." (Prayer at Mass in the Period of Lent)

God our Father is always working to save us. What a consoling thought! As Easter approaches, the Church intensifies its preparation and prayer for those who will be received into the Church at Easter. These catechumens and candidates need the prayers of the Church to be steadfast in their determination to join the Chosen People. The Church is aware that this is the period of greatest temptation to some of them. We help them with our prayers to overcome the obstacles of the evil one.

The Eucharist protects us from harm

"Lord, may we always receive the protection of this sacrifice. May it keep us safe from all harm." (Prayer at Mass)

The Eucharist confers sanctifying grace to us. It protects us from what harms our soul. As it nourishes our soul with the best of spiritual food, it starves our carnal appetite. How do we receive the fullest blessings of the Eucharist? By coming to the Eucharist in a state of grace, we show our desire for the blessings. Then we ask for the blessings we desire.

His Wounds

"Jesus carried our sins in his own body on the cross so that we could die to sin and live in holiness; by his wounds we have been healed." (1 Peter 2: 24)

By his wounds, we have been healed of our enslavement to sin and all consequences of sin. We become free as sons. We enjoy the perquisites of sons. We understand and accept God's sovereignty and plan for our lives. Physical healing becomes secondary.

Commenting on the above scripture, St. Bernard wrote: "I have come to see that true wisdom lies in meditating on these things […]. Some have provided me with wholesome, if bitter, drink, and I have used others as gentle and soothing unction. This gives me strength in adversity and helps me to be humble in prosperity; it allows me to walk with a sure step on the royal road of salvation, through the good things and the evil things of this present life, free from the dangers which threaten to right and left." (Sermons on the Song of Songs, 43, 4).