Work Out Your Salvation A condensed version of a Fathers of Mercy
retreat
Homily - Part VI
God wants to satisfy your needs even more than you want them satisfied. The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of all Christian Faith. The Eucharist is what it signifies. Thus it is the highest sacrament. The other sacraments effect the grace they signify.
Pray for wisdom just as much as faith. Doubt about the faith can be a part of your daily cross. Do you make your whole life a living sacrifice? You do so in receiving the Eucharist and Holy Penance. You should give God something instead of asking for something from Him. Daily prayers can be offered in sacrificial love. The Sacred Liturgy is for the worship of the Divine Majesty. Jesus gave Hmself for love of you and in obedience to God the Father. Ask for sacrificial wisdom. Offer all to God in a day - good and bad. Work out your salvation with self-knowledge and love.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Son of God
Praise Be Jesus Christ, Now and Forever!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Wisdom Wednesday
Work Out Your Salvation A condensed version of a Fathers of Mercy retreat
Live a Trinitarian Spirituality - Part V
All things are to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. If you involve God in this life, you can do more by accident then most do on purpose. My soul is looking for God and has found Him in the Trinity. If God is with you, it is greater than what you admire in the sky. The immensity and beauty of the sky cannot match the sacredness of the Holy Spirit's life within your soul. There is always something to seek further in your life. It is the Lord's Will for you to attain Eternal Salvation. God usually wants a convert to be well grounded in knowledge and not acting on pure emotional drive. God does not want slaves, but sons and daughters. You can never know all, but you should have a desire to learn more and more. To know Jesus is the way of knowing the Trinity. Jesus goes to the Father through Himself and in the Holy Spirit. You come from God and return to God. Every good thing somes to you from God, through the mediation of Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Your spirituality must have a balance between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Pope Bl. John Paul II dedicated the years 1997-99 to Son Spirit and Father, respectively. Jesus is the mediator between God and man as well as between man and God. You offer prayers to God, through Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Nothing gives God more pleasure than the conversion of men. Enjoy the pure and dazzling Trinity!
1 Thessalonians - "May the God of Peace make you perfect in holiness." St. Catherine of Siena - "The Trinity is a mystery deeper than the Sea." Pope Bl. John Paul II - "Worship of the Eucharist is to the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit."
Christians are everyshere and are indistinguishable as they follow the customs of their community. Christians are in flesh, but they follow the laws of the supernatural. The Christian to the world is as the soul to the body. The soul restricts the body's pleasure sas the Christian restricts the pleasures of the world. Live a Trinitarian Spirituality so that you will have the strength to accept whatever comes your way.
Live a Trinitarian Spirituality - Part V
All things are to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. If you involve God in this life, you can do more by accident then most do on purpose. My soul is looking for God and has found Him in the Trinity. If God is with you, it is greater than what you admire in the sky. The immensity and beauty of the sky cannot match the sacredness of the Holy Spirit's life within your soul. There is always something to seek further in your life. It is the Lord's Will for you to attain Eternal Salvation. God usually wants a convert to be well grounded in knowledge and not acting on pure emotional drive. God does not want slaves, but sons and daughters. You can never know all, but you should have a desire to learn more and more. To know Jesus is the way of knowing the Trinity. Jesus goes to the Father through Himself and in the Holy Spirit. You come from God and return to God. Every good thing somes to you from God, through the mediation of Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Your spirituality must have a balance between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Pope Bl. John Paul II dedicated the years 1997-99 to Son Spirit and Father, respectively. Jesus is the mediator between God and man as well as between man and God. You offer prayers to God, through Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Nothing gives God more pleasure than the conversion of men. Enjoy the pure and dazzling Trinity!
1 Thessalonians - "May the God of Peace make you perfect in holiness." St. Catherine of Siena - "The Trinity is a mystery deeper than the Sea." Pope Bl. John Paul II - "Worship of the Eucharist is to the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit."
Christians are everyshere and are indistinguishable as they follow the customs of their community. Christians are in flesh, but they follow the laws of the supernatural. The Christian to the world is as the soul to the body. The soul restricts the body's pleasure sas the Christian restricts the pleasures of the world. Live a Trinitarian Spirituality so that you will have the strength to accept whatever comes your way.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Wisdom Wednesday
Work Out Your Salvation A condensed version of a Fathers of Mercy
retreat
Practice and Live the Sacraments - Part IV
An encounter with Christ is necessary to work out our salvation. Sacraments are the portal to grace and salvation and the Holy Eucharist is the way by which we encounter Christ. However, we should be ready to encounter Christ anywhere at any moment. There is no such thing as a "white lie". There are "scarlet sins", which are the hardest to erase from our souls. Although our sins are forgiven, we still need to heal what has been damaged by practicing and living the sacraments. Keep your eyes on Christ. A sacrament is a meeting with the Lord, Jesus. Sacraments are infinite in grace, but their graces are received according to the disposition of the recipient. The sacraments were all instituted by Christ and they are powers that come from His Sacred Body. Sacraments are the masterworks of God. A sacrament is a sign of grace instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. The love of the Trinity for us is perfect and ultimate. Practice and live the sacraments.
The Sacred Liturgy is above all things the worship of the Divine Majesty. Confirmation strengthens our ability to honor Him in the company of others. The Holy Spirit perfects our spirit and conforms vice into love. We have a responsibility to proclaim the Lord's part in our lives to others in order to bring them to Christ and give them the Good News. It is impossible for a Christian not to spread the Good News to others. The Holy Spirit transforms you sot hat your life in Christ flourishes. We share in the Divinity of Christ as He humbled Himself to share in our humanity through the Eucharist. The Christian life is one of actions, not of speeches or daydreams. Preach the Gospel by your actions. Our Faith demands public witness. We must know the Faith in order to live and spread it. Fallen away Catholic will only come home to the Church through the knowledge of its teachings. Practicing and living the sacraments provides us with a clear conscience. Praise God for the seven sacraments. God became Man so that man could become life God. When you possess peace everyday, you will be truly rich. Have a clear conscience. Work out your salvation.
Practice and Live the Sacraments - Part IV
An encounter with Christ is necessary to work out our salvation. Sacraments are the portal to grace and salvation and the Holy Eucharist is the way by which we encounter Christ. However, we should be ready to encounter Christ anywhere at any moment. There is no such thing as a "white lie". There are "scarlet sins", which are the hardest to erase from our souls. Although our sins are forgiven, we still need to heal what has been damaged by practicing and living the sacraments. Keep your eyes on Christ. A sacrament is a meeting with the Lord, Jesus. Sacraments are infinite in grace, but their graces are received according to the disposition of the recipient. The sacraments were all instituted by Christ and they are powers that come from His Sacred Body. Sacraments are the masterworks of God. A sacrament is a sign of grace instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. The love of the Trinity for us is perfect and ultimate. Practice and live the sacraments.
The Sacred Liturgy is above all things the worship of the Divine Majesty. Confirmation strengthens our ability to honor Him in the company of others. The Holy Spirit perfects our spirit and conforms vice into love. We have a responsibility to proclaim the Lord's part in our lives to others in order to bring them to Christ and give them the Good News. It is impossible for a Christian not to spread the Good News to others. The Holy Spirit transforms you sot hat your life in Christ flourishes. We share in the Divinity of Christ as He humbled Himself to share in our humanity through the Eucharist. The Christian life is one of actions, not of speeches or daydreams. Preach the Gospel by your actions. Our Faith demands public witness. We must know the Faith in order to live and spread it. Fallen away Catholic will only come home to the Church through the knowledge of its teachings. Practicing and living the sacraments provides us with a clear conscience. Praise God for the seven sacraments. God became Man so that man could become life God. When you possess peace everyday, you will be truly rich. Have a clear conscience. Work out your salvation.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Meditations Monday
Reflections on the Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection: Jesus rose from the dead in His glorified body three days after His Death on the Cross and burial in the tomb. Do we have the courage to rise with Christ out of deathly sin to a holy union with God, His angels, and His saints? Do we care for our body, guarding it from the results of gluttony, as it will be united with our soul at the end of time by the resurrection of the body?
The Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven: Jesus ascended into Heaven where He united Himself with the Father as King of Heaven. Do we lift our hearts to God and unite our wills to His? Do our lives reflect our anticipation of the Second Coming as we were instructed?
The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: The Holy Spirit descended upon those in the Upper Room, giving them the strength to carry on the Message of Our Lord with God in their hearts. Are our hearts open to the Holy Spirit so that we can hear the voice of the God? Do we actively live according to the Gospels so that others will be drawn to Christ through our example?
The Assumption of the Blessed Mother: Mary, the Mother of God, was assumed into Heaven, body and soul, so to honor her role as the Immaculate Conception and her body as the Temple of Christ in the womb. Do our lives reflect the life of Our Lady who remained sinless for the entirety of her life? Do we frequently ask for her intercession in our lives so that we should also live immaculately?
The Corronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven: The Blessed Mother was made Queen of Heaven, where she sits in communion with her Divine Son and the choirs of angels and saints. Is Mary the queen of our hearts? Do we accept our sufferings and live virtuously so that we might attain a seat in Heaven amidst all the angels and saints?
The Resurrection: Jesus rose from the dead in His glorified body three days after His Death on the Cross and burial in the tomb. Do we have the courage to rise with Christ out of deathly sin to a holy union with God, His angels, and His saints? Do we care for our body, guarding it from the results of gluttony, as it will be united with our soul at the end of time by the resurrection of the body?
The Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven: Jesus ascended into Heaven where He united Himself with the Father as King of Heaven. Do we lift our hearts to God and unite our wills to His? Do our lives reflect our anticipation of the Second Coming as we were instructed?
The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: The Holy Spirit descended upon those in the Upper Room, giving them the strength to carry on the Message of Our Lord with God in their hearts. Are our hearts open to the Holy Spirit so that we can hear the voice of the God? Do we actively live according to the Gospels so that others will be drawn to Christ through our example?
The Assumption of the Blessed Mother: Mary, the Mother of God, was assumed into Heaven, body and soul, so to honor her role as the Immaculate Conception and her body as the Temple of Christ in the womb. Do our lives reflect the life of Our Lady who remained sinless for the entirety of her life? Do we frequently ask for her intercession in our lives so that we should also live immaculately?
The Corronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven: The Blessed Mother was made Queen of Heaven, where she sits in communion with her Divine Son and the choirs of angels and saints. Is Mary the queen of our hearts? Do we accept our sufferings and live virtuously so that we might attain a seat in Heaven amidst all the angels and saints?
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Wisdom Wednesday
Work Out Your Salvation A condensed version of a Fathers of Mercy retreat
Understand the Reality of Vice and Virtue - Part III
Vice wants to pull you away from your attempt towards salvation. God told Saul to stop his patterns of sin. Man tends to lean towards sin. Only through God's Grace can you stop sinning. You need Jesus and the sacraments. God is not your co-pilot, but your pilot. the removal of a sinful habit requires work and grace over time. Confusion gives you the opportunity to make a new start with the knowledge that God will give you the grace and strength necessary for you to work out your salvation.
Padre Pio said, "As long as there is a drop of blood in our bodies, there will be a struggle between good and evil." Aristotle said, "I count him greater who overcomes his desires than he who overcomes his earthly enemies. Why? Because it is heardest to overcome the inner struggle of the soul." St. Thomas Aquinas says, "Sin is against human nature." St. Peter said, "Root our your vices and sow virtues."
Virtues guide your thoughts, words, and deeds. There is a virtue for every vice: pride - humility, greed - generosity, lust - chastity, anger - meekness, envy - brotherly love, sloth - diligence, gluttony - temporance. The virtues allow you to give your full to an act. The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God. It is God's Willl for you to grow in virtue. You should want to grow more virtuous. You must be virtuous in times of trouble. Detatchment frees you from any excessive attatchment to something or someone that might draw you away from God. You must love persons, places, and things according to God's plan. Passions, emotions, and feelings are not always to be satisfied but are also not always to be denied. Some causes of sin are not intrensic evils, but the sin is dependent on the person's intentions. Ask yourself what vices are you strong in and what virtues you need to grow in.
St. Thomas Aquinas Said, "Good flourishes in the temporate man. Salvation begins with self-knowledge." St. Faustina said, "Oh what comfort that comes from knowledge of self!" St. John the Baptist called the Pharisees, who lacked self-knowledge, a "brood of vipers." St. Gerard said, "Be courageous...rely on God and not self." st. Theresa of Avile said, "All things pass away, but God remains the same."
Delay not your convertion to God. You must find your inner faults. You must reform yourself before helping others to reform themselves. You will know God by understanding your inner self. Ask the Lord to help you find yourself. You need Christ in order to know yourself. The man who knows his faults is at peace in all tribulation due to his self-knowledge. The most holy are not those who are without faults, but those who try the hardest to end their faults. God's commandments are not burdensome. Follow what is good and you will be like God. Temptation to sin never exceeds your ability to deny it with God's grace. Sacraments and prayers strengthen your ability to avoid temptation. No one can have self-knowledge without trial. The purpose of the penitential rite in the Mass is to wipe away all venial sin so you can receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist in grace. Spend your earthly life on the Will of God and not for worldly desires. Remain in simplicity and peace. All you need is God.
Understand the Reality of Vice and Virtue - Part III
Vice wants to pull you away from your attempt towards salvation. God told Saul to stop his patterns of sin. Man tends to lean towards sin. Only through God's Grace can you stop sinning. You need Jesus and the sacraments. God is not your co-pilot, but your pilot. the removal of a sinful habit requires work and grace over time. Confusion gives you the opportunity to make a new start with the knowledge that God will give you the grace and strength necessary for you to work out your salvation.
Padre Pio said, "As long as there is a drop of blood in our bodies, there will be a struggle between good and evil." Aristotle said, "I count him greater who overcomes his desires than he who overcomes his earthly enemies. Why? Because it is heardest to overcome the inner struggle of the soul." St. Thomas Aquinas says, "Sin is against human nature." St. Peter said, "Root our your vices and sow virtues."
Virtues guide your thoughts, words, and deeds. There is a virtue for every vice: pride - humility, greed - generosity, lust - chastity, anger - meekness, envy - brotherly love, sloth - diligence, gluttony - temporance. The virtues allow you to give your full to an act. The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God. It is God's Willl for you to grow in virtue. You should want to grow more virtuous. You must be virtuous in times of trouble. Detatchment frees you from any excessive attatchment to something or someone that might draw you away from God. You must love persons, places, and things according to God's plan. Passions, emotions, and feelings are not always to be satisfied but are also not always to be denied. Some causes of sin are not intrensic evils, but the sin is dependent on the person's intentions. Ask yourself what vices are you strong in and what virtues you need to grow in.
St. Thomas Aquinas Said, "Good flourishes in the temporate man. Salvation begins with self-knowledge." St. Faustina said, "Oh what comfort that comes from knowledge of self!" St. John the Baptist called the Pharisees, who lacked self-knowledge, a "brood of vipers." St. Gerard said, "Be courageous...rely on God and not self." st. Theresa of Avile said, "All things pass away, but God remains the same."
Delay not your convertion to God. You must find your inner faults. You must reform yourself before helping others to reform themselves. You will know God by understanding your inner self. Ask the Lord to help you find yourself. You need Christ in order to know yourself. The man who knows his faults is at peace in all tribulation due to his self-knowledge. The most holy are not those who are without faults, but those who try the hardest to end their faults. God's commandments are not burdensome. Follow what is good and you will be like God. Temptation to sin never exceeds your ability to deny it with God's grace. Sacraments and prayers strengthen your ability to avoid temptation. No one can have self-knowledge without trial. The purpose of the penitential rite in the Mass is to wipe away all venial sin so you can receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist in grace. Spend your earthly life on the Will of God and not for worldly desires. Remain in simplicity and peace. All you need is God.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Meditations Monday
Reflections on the Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden: Jesus was consoled by an angel in the Garden of Eden as He wept in anticipation of His Passion and Death. Do we not weep for our sins as they are the cause of Jesus' ultimate Sacrifice? As the angel comforted Jesus in the garden, do we comfort those in pain who are, themselves, the face of Christ on Earth?
The Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus was scourged at the hands of the Roman before He was taken to be crucified. As the Flesh of Christ was torn for the satisfaction of the Sanhedrin, do we make any effort to tear away sinfulness from our lives to please Our Lord?
The Crowning with Thorns: The soldiers mocked Jesus by giving him a scarlet cloak, handing Him a reed, and placing a Crown of Thorns on His head, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Do we exalt as we should Jesus, the King of Heaven and of our hearts? Do we place, in our praises, a heavenly crown upon His head and a scepter in His hand?
Jesus Carries His Cross: Christ accepted His Cross without complaint and He carried it on His shoulders to His place of death, called "Golgotha." Do we accept the trails that come our way as crosses for Our Lord, bearing them without complaint or despair? Do we make daily sacrifices for Our Lord in order to lessen the weight of His Cross even by one ounce?
Jesus Dies Upon the Cross: Jesus died on the Cross to make reparation for the sins of man and to open the Gates of Heaven to the faithful. Do we view our sins as we should - as thorns, a nail, or the spear that brought forth blood and water and caused such great pain to Christ? Do we contemplatively fall to the foot of the Cross as we should to beg for God's Mercy and the strength never commit a sin for the entirety of our life?
The Agony in the Garden: Jesus was consoled by an angel in the Garden of Eden as He wept in anticipation of His Passion and Death. Do we not weep for our sins as they are the cause of Jesus' ultimate Sacrifice? As the angel comforted Jesus in the garden, do we comfort those in pain who are, themselves, the face of Christ on Earth?
The Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus was scourged at the hands of the Roman before He was taken to be crucified. As the Flesh of Christ was torn for the satisfaction of the Sanhedrin, do we make any effort to tear away sinfulness from our lives to please Our Lord?
The Crowning with Thorns: The soldiers mocked Jesus by giving him a scarlet cloak, handing Him a reed, and placing a Crown of Thorns on His head, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Do we exalt as we should Jesus, the King of Heaven and of our hearts? Do we place, in our praises, a heavenly crown upon His head and a scepter in His hand?
Jesus Carries His Cross: Christ accepted His Cross without complaint and He carried it on His shoulders to His place of death, called "Golgotha." Do we accept the trails that come our way as crosses for Our Lord, bearing them without complaint or despair? Do we make daily sacrifices for Our Lord in order to lessen the weight of His Cross even by one ounce?
Jesus Dies Upon the Cross: Jesus died on the Cross to make reparation for the sins of man and to open the Gates of Heaven to the faithful. Do we view our sins as we should - as thorns, a nail, or the spear that brought forth blood and water and caused such great pain to Christ? Do we contemplatively fall to the foot of the Cross as we should to beg for God's Mercy and the strength never commit a sin for the entirety of our life?
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