Rejoice in Sufferings

"Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly." (1 Peter 4: 13)

Fruits of the Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary: Grace to share in the sufferings of Christ.

The One thing

"One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple." (Psalm 27: 4)

Jesus said to Martha, "Only one thing is necessary." For the psalmist, that one thing is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. Note that the psalmist does not just ask the Lord for the one thing. He seeks it. Jesus commands us to ask for the one thing; seek the one thing; knock on doors for the one thing until we find it.

What is the one thing that I need in my life right here and right now? That one thing is the Holy Spirit. This is the one thing that makes all things possible.

Prayer and Hope

"All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and his brothers." (Acts 1: 12 – 14)

Wait for the promise of the Father in Jerusalem. Where is my Jerusalem today?

How did the apostles wait for the Holy Spirit? They devoted themselves with one accord to Prayer.

How do I wait for the fulfillment of the promise of the Enterprise? Prayer! Prayer! Prayer! The 7-Way Plan.

Through prayer, we keep hope alive.

2 dimensions of prayer:

• Pray that you do not enter into temptation: (Gethsemane). Prayer becomes a defensive weapon in spiritual warfare.
  
• Pray in order to be able to wait for the promise of the Father. Prayer becomes a means of living the virtue of hope.

History is the unfolding of truth

"Eternal Father, reaching from end to end of the universe, and ordering all things with your mighty arm: for you, time is the unfolding of truth that already is, the unveiling of beauty that is yet to be. Your son has saved us in history by rising from the dead, so that transcending time he might free us from death. May his presence among us lead to the vision of unlimited truth and unfold the beauty of your love….." (Mass Prayer)

God orders all things with His mighty arm.

History is the unfolding of truth that already is.

The Risen Christ is among us in the Church.

Christ, our Emmanuel

"Father, help us to keep in mind that Christ our Savior lives with you in glory and promised to be with us until the end of time….." (Mass Prayer in the 7^th Sunday of Easter)

Christ our Emmanuel promised to be with us always. He also promised that His grace will always be sufficient for us. He will be with us in our journey and in every struggle.

Thank you Jesus. Bless me with the gift of keeping this in mind always.

Ask

"Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete." (John 16: 24)

"In all truth I tell you, anything you ask from the Father he will grant in my name." (John 16: 23)

"When that day comes you will ask in my name…." (John 16: 26)

Most of our prayer is involved with asking. God created us to be completely dependent on him for everything. Why then be ashamed to ask for help in the time of need?

Ask and you shall receive and your faith will grow stronger.

Fullness of truth

"Apollos was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus . …. Pricilla and Aquilla gave him more detailed instruction about the way." (Acts 18: 25 0 26)

Some teachers /TV evangelists are accurate in some details they teach about Jesus. Those that are open to the Spirit and thirst for the fullness of truth are given more instruction about the Way.

 

Called out of darkness

"You are a people God claims as his own, to praise him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2: 9)

God claims me as His own.

God is my portion and inheritance.

God designed me to praise Him.

God called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.

St. Matthias

"Lord, you constantly give life to your people in this holy Eucharist. By the prayers of the apostle St. Matthias, prepare us to take our place among your saints in eternal life…" (Prayer in the feast of St. Matthias)

The Eucharist strengthens God's grace within us. The Eucharist constantly gives us spiritual life. The life of God within us is sanctifying grace.

The Eucharist prepares us to take our place among the saints in heaven.

The Jesus Character

"You are my friends, if you do what I command you." (John 15: 14)

The apostle is called to enjoy intimate friendship with Jesus.

• To be with Jesus all the time.
  
• To be like Jesus and to act like Jesus.
  

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to produce the Jesus character in the apostle.

The Witness Defined

"Out of the men who have been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was living with us, from the time when John was baptizing until the day when he was taken up from us, one must be appointed to serve with us as a witness to his resurrection." (Acts 1: 21-22)

Attributes of the apostle and the witness:

• Must be with Jesus for a long time
  
• Must know Jesus well
  
• Must have experienced the resurrection of Jesus to bear witness to the truth by his word and life

Called and anointed

"Father, you called St. Matthias to share in the mission of the apostles. By the help of his prayers, may we receive with joy the love you share with us and be counted among those you have chosen….." (Prayer on the feast of St. Matthias)

The choice, the call and the anointed.

Every Christian has be chosen, called and anointed to share in the mission of the apostles. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of mission will lead and guide each one to his path.

Chosen

"You have not chosen me; I have chosen you. Go and bear fruit that will last." (John 15: 16)

Lord, lead me; guide me; use me.

The Great Commission

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…. teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28: 19 – 20)

Jesus Christ is Emmanuel – "God with us." He promises: "Behold, I am with you always."

At the beginning of his Gospel, St. Matthew writes:

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel." (Matthew 1:21)

At the end of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, Jesus promises: "Behold, I am with you always."

Jesus Christ is with us in the Eucharist. He is with us in all the mission fields in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Use me

"Go and teach all nations, I am with you always, until the end of the world." (Matthew 28: 19, 20)

Lord, lead me, guide me and use me.

Strong Hope

"May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your heart be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy one…." (Ephesians 1: 17-18)

Lord, bless me with the spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Bless me with a strong hope.

Be strong and wait

"It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1: 7-8)

You will receive power from the Holy Spirit.

You will be my witnesses everywhere.

When will these promises be fulfilled? Wait for the Lord. Wait patiently for the Lord.

Waiting for the Promises

"While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak, for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1: 4-5)

Wait for the promises of the Father. (122108)

Wait for the promises of the Enterprise.

Teach me to wait. Help me to wait.

How to wait: Wait with oil burning in your lamp: the 7-Way Plan.

If we perish

"If our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, Your Majesty, he will save us; and even if he does not, then you must know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have set up." (Daniel 3:17 – 18)

A good paraphrase of the above scripture which I like is this: "If we live, we live; if we perish, we perish."

"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26: 39) Again, we can paraphrase Christ's sentiments thus: "If I live, I live; if I die, I die."

"For though the fig tree blossom not | nor fruit be on the vines, |Though the yield of the olive fail| and the terraces produce no nourishment, | Though the flock disappear from the fold | and there be no heard in the stalls, | Yet will I rejoice in the Lord |and exult in my saving God. (Habakkuk 3: 17 – 18) Prophet Habakkuk's word can me summarized with - "If we live, we live; if we perish, we perish."

"If you make my word your home |you will indeed be my disciples; | you will come to know the truth, | and the truth will make you free." (John 8: 31 – 32)

When we are faithful to the teachings of Jesus, we will have the faith and courage to appropriate the above scriptures. We will know that God is faithful come what may.

Eyes of faith

"Father in heaven, our minds were prepared for the coming of your kingdom when you took Christ beyond our sight so that we might seek him in his glory. May we follow where he has led and find our hope in his glory…." (Mass of the Ascension)

The ascension took Christ beyond our sight. Now we can see Christ with the eyes of faith. Where Christ is, there is the kingdom of God.