Reflections on the Rosary: The Luminous Mysteries
The Baptism of Our Lord: Christ, as an example to us, received baptism from St. John the Baptist and established it as a sacrament for us. Do we make it our priority to receive the sacraments frequently? Have we been faithful to our baptismal promises?
The Wedding Feast at Cana: Jesus turned water into wine at the Wedding Feast in Cana as a foreshadowing symbol of the coming miracle and sacrament, the Holy Eucharist. Do we make an effort to attend Mass and spend time in adoration of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist? Will we follow the voice of the Holy Spirit as the bridegroom's servants obeyed Christ's instructions?
The Transfiguration: Jesus, Elijah, and Moses appeared to Peter, James, and John in glorious, transfigured bodies to remind them of the Eternal Life and to foreshadow the Resurrection of the Body at the end of time. Do we live in the constant awareness of our responsibility to gain Heaven through right living? Do we treat others well in the context that they will have eternal life and will be transfigured at the end of time?
The Sermon on the Mount: Christ gave the Beatitudes to the people at the Sermon on the Mount so to teach them the standard by which one should live. Do we actively practice the Beatitudes in our lives? Do our daily actions in the secular world direct others to God, to ourselves, or to sinful pleasures?
The Institution of the Eucharist: Jesus gave His disciples the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper as the way in which He dwells within the souls of the faithful and shares with them, His Divinity. Do we treat the Eucharist with respect as the Presence of God? Can we take an hour of our time to worship Christ in the Eucharist and thank Him for the ultimate gift of himself to us?
Showing posts with label The Luminous Mysteries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Luminous Mysteries. Show all posts
Monday, July 2, 2012
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
The Sermon on the Mount
We must not forget that our sins are of infinite gravity. We are saved by the Mercy of God, but only when we are truly sorry for them.
Increase you love of Christ by your daily actions. When we repent, it is proof of our love for God.
There is a heresy that states that the validity of the Sacrament of Penance is dependant upon the holiness of the priest. We must remember that the priest is only the instrument of Confession; God forgives our sins. Therefore, our sins are truly forgiven in the Confessional, no matter how saintly or sincere the priest is.
We must turn to God with humble trust. He loves us and is ready to help us when we ask Him.
It is humbling to realize our sins, especially to the priest in Confession. But, Jesus is present and ready to cleanse us with His Divine Mercy.
When we realize our sinfulness, we must also realize His mercy. Then, we must move past our sins and do good works to make up for them and to thank Jesus for His infinite gifts.
It is necessary to confess in order to profess. If we are not first free of sin, how can we expect to call others to repentance?
Ponder Point
Am I openly giving my heart with love to God in Confession, or just by habit? Am I sorry for my sins because I love God, or because I fear Hell?
We must not forget that our sins are of infinite gravity. We are saved by the Mercy of God, but only when we are truly sorry for them.
Increase you love of Christ by your daily actions. When we repent, it is proof of our love for God.
There is a heresy that states that the validity of the Sacrament of Penance is dependant upon the holiness of the priest. We must remember that the priest is only the instrument of Confession; God forgives our sins. Therefore, our sins are truly forgiven in the Confessional, no matter how saintly or sincere the priest is.
We must turn to God with humble trust. He loves us and is ready to help us when we ask Him.
It is humbling to realize our sins, especially to the priest in Confession. But, Jesus is present and ready to cleanse us with His Divine Mercy.
When we realize our sinfulness, we must also realize His mercy. Then, we must move past our sins and do good works to make up for them and to thank Jesus for His infinite gifts.
It is necessary to confess in order to profess. If we are not first free of sin, how can we expect to call others to repentance?
Ponder Point
Am I openly giving my heart with love to God in Confession, or just by habit? Am I sorry for my sins because I love God, or because I fear Hell?
Friday, July 15, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
The Sermon on the Mount
God provides for our every need. He tells us, "Do not worry".
If something causes us great anxiety, we are not seeking or trusting in God.
If we perform our apostolate for something, such as food, then we are not focusing on our apostolate, but food. We must do good works, not for our personal advantage, but for love of God.
Jesus tells us, "Repent and Believe the Good News!" We need to seek a life of true holiness. We cannot put off our conversion for later.
True conversion is "falling in love" with Christ.
Jesus spares us with His mercy but not forever. We do not know when the end of time will be. We must take advantage of grace when we are aware of it.
Old age comes at last; we, body and soul, are more fragile than a vessel of glass.
Ponder Point
What causes me great anxiety? Do I put my whole trust in God's Mercy?
God provides for our every need. He tells us, "Do not worry".
If something causes us great anxiety, we are not seeking or trusting in God.
If we perform our apostolate for something, such as food, then we are not focusing on our apostolate, but food. We must do good works, not for our personal advantage, but for love of God.
Jesus tells us, "Repent and Believe the Good News!" We need to seek a life of true holiness. We cannot put off our conversion for later.
True conversion is "falling in love" with Christ.
Jesus spares us with His mercy but not forever. We do not know when the end of time will be. We must take advantage of grace when we are aware of it.
Old age comes at last; we, body and soul, are more fragile than a vessel of glass.
Ponder Point
What causes me great anxiety? Do I put my whole trust in God's Mercy?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
The Sermon on the Mount
The meek accept persecution and remain humble and steadfast. We mourn over our sins, but we know they are forgiven.
We must seek holiness, not for the sake of avoiding Hell or just to be a good person, but we must pursue holiness with passion. We must do good things because we love Jesus, not because we're just trying to buy a ticket to Heaven.
To be merciful is to see others' defects, but help them rather than pursecute them. It is easy to call ourselves merciful by overlooking a person's faults, but we cannot be merciful without first forgiving the sin.
We must not critisize others who sin; it is easy for any of us to commit a grave sin. It is our duty to be merciful to them, as Jesus is merciful to us.
Purity of heart is love. To be pure of heart is to follow Christ in love, piety, and calmness, despite our troubles. You can only be a peacemaker for others if you are first at peace with God.
Suffering to do good makes us like Jesus who suffered to free men from sin.
If we are seeking our will, we are not seeking God's Will. It may be that our will and God's Will are the same. But, we must always seek only God's Will in our lives.
Christians like to micromanage God by making sure everything is absolutely perfect. We cannot limit God, but must accept His Will in our daily lives.
Ponder Point
Do I give in to the temptation to critisize others who have greatly sinned? In this age of vast communication such as the internet and television, many people make their sins public. Are we willing to forgive them and be merciful, despite the gravity of their sin or their rejection of Christianity?
The meek accept persecution and remain humble and steadfast. We mourn over our sins, but we know they are forgiven.
We must seek holiness, not for the sake of avoiding Hell or just to be a good person, but we must pursue holiness with passion. We must do good things because we love Jesus, not because we're just trying to buy a ticket to Heaven.
To be merciful is to see others' defects, but help them rather than pursecute them. It is easy to call ourselves merciful by overlooking a person's faults, but we cannot be merciful without first forgiving the sin.
We must not critisize others who sin; it is easy for any of us to commit a grave sin. It is our duty to be merciful to them, as Jesus is merciful to us.
Purity of heart is love. To be pure of heart is to follow Christ in love, piety, and calmness, despite our troubles. You can only be a peacemaker for others if you are first at peace with God.
Suffering to do good makes us like Jesus who suffered to free men from sin.
If we are seeking our will, we are not seeking God's Will. It may be that our will and God's Will are the same. But, we must always seek only God's Will in our lives.
Christians like to micromanage God by making sure everything is absolutely perfect. We cannot limit God, but must accept His Will in our daily lives.
Ponder Point
Do I give in to the temptation to critisize others who have greatly sinned? In this age of vast communication such as the internet and television, many people make their sins public. Are we willing to forgive them and be merciful, despite the gravity of their sin or their rejection of Christianity?
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
The Wedding Feast at Cana
Mary is the Virgin of Prayer. She is the model of true prayer as she freely pleaded with God, but was always willing to accept His Will, knowing that He knew best.
Jesus did not snap His fingers and wine appeared from nothing. It was more believable to change something that already existed.
By using a product of Earth, He proved that this world is not evil. The miracle also signifies the sanctity of married life as it was blessed by Jesus through the miracle.
We must immitate the prayers of the saints, who prayed as servants to a merciful master, and of Mary, who prayed to her Son as a loving mother, knowing He would do the right thing.
If Mary is the Mother of Jesus, we can only imagine with what fervor her petitions are heard by God. In that way, we must beg for the intercession of Mary, knowing she is so very close to our Savior.
Marriage cannot singly be for the bearing of new life, but the union between husband and wife must reflect the Holy Bond between God and man. In this way, Holy Matrimony is the physical representation of the unity of Jesus with His Church.
Both parents in a family must be equally respected. A mother rears her child with love and teaches them to act. The father is not only the worker who brings home money and treats for his family, but the person whom all of the family looks up to.
A father is equally important as a mother and plays an irriplaceable role in a child's life. Children learn how to respect others by the way the father respects his wife.
Every vocation is a unique calling from God and is a symbol of the Life of God on earth. Mariage is the representation of the unity of Christ with His Church.
Ponder Point
Mary is the perfect model of prayer. How can we immitate her?
Mary is the Virgin of Prayer. She is the model of true prayer as she freely pleaded with God, but was always willing to accept His Will, knowing that He knew best.
Jesus did not snap His fingers and wine appeared from nothing. It was more believable to change something that already existed.
By using a product of Earth, He proved that this world is not evil. The miracle also signifies the sanctity of married life as it was blessed by Jesus through the miracle.
We must immitate the prayers of the saints, who prayed as servants to a merciful master, and of Mary, who prayed to her Son as a loving mother, knowing He would do the right thing.
If Mary is the Mother of Jesus, we can only imagine with what fervor her petitions are heard by God. In that way, we must beg for the intercession of Mary, knowing she is so very close to our Savior.
Marriage cannot singly be for the bearing of new life, but the union between husband and wife must reflect the Holy Bond between God and man. In this way, Holy Matrimony is the physical representation of the unity of Jesus with His Church.
Both parents in a family must be equally respected. A mother rears her child with love and teaches them to act. The father is not only the worker who brings home money and treats for his family, but the person whom all of the family looks up to.
A father is equally important as a mother and plays an irriplaceable role in a child's life. Children learn how to respect others by the way the father respects his wife.
Every vocation is a unique calling from God and is a symbol of the Life of God on earth. Mariage is the representation of the unity of Christ with His Church.
Ponder Point
Mary is the perfect model of prayer. How can we immitate her?
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
The Wedding Feast at Cana
We have truly miraculous things on a daily basis. When ordinary bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus every day, why should we be amazed at the miracle of Cana?
The Jews would celebrate a wedding for over a week. Consequently, they required much wine for the feast. When there was no wine, there was no joy.
Thus, running out of wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana would have been a great disaster for the bridegroom.
Mary pitied her friends and asked Jesus to provide wine for the feast. Christ showed respect for His Mother by performing the miracle.
Some people misunderstand Jesus' words, "My time has not yet come." Jesus did not mean that He would not perform the miracle because His set date and hour for His Earthly ministry had not come. It was that Mary beseeched Him to aid the bridegroom.
Jesus answered the prayer of Mary by starting His ministry then, not because His time had or had not come, but because Mary asked Him to let His time start then. He obeyed out of respect and love for her.
Mary showed us that to be merciful is to be distressed at the distress of others.
Petitions are lifted up to God, not demanded, because we must respect the Will of God. We must not limit God, because God is infinite in mercy and love.
Mary both expressed a petition and showed us obedience to God when she said, "Do whatever He tells you." She did not express how Jesus would perform the miracle and she does not describe our mission. We must be open to the Will of God and "do whatever He tells us."
Ponder Points
What miraculous things happen in our daily lives? Do we forget their miraculous qualities? How can we remember to respect them more?
"Do whatever He tells you" How can I be more obedient to Jesus? Is it maybe in being more obedient to my parents or my boss? Or, perhaps my heart is too hard to hear the voice of Christ?
We have truly miraculous things on a daily basis. When ordinary bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus every day, why should we be amazed at the miracle of Cana?
The Jews would celebrate a wedding for over a week. Consequently, they required much wine for the feast. When there was no wine, there was no joy.
Thus, running out of wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana would have been a great disaster for the bridegroom.
Mary pitied her friends and asked Jesus to provide wine for the feast. Christ showed respect for His Mother by performing the miracle.
Some people misunderstand Jesus' words, "My time has not yet come." Jesus did not mean that He would not perform the miracle because His set date and hour for His Earthly ministry had not come. It was that Mary beseeched Him to aid the bridegroom.
Jesus answered the prayer of Mary by starting His ministry then, not because His time had or had not come, but because Mary asked Him to let His time start then. He obeyed out of respect and love for her.
Mary showed us that to be merciful is to be distressed at the distress of others.
Petitions are lifted up to God, not demanded, because we must respect the Will of God. We must not limit God, because God is infinite in mercy and love.
Mary both expressed a petition and showed us obedience to God when she said, "Do whatever He tells you." She did not express how Jesus would perform the miracle and she does not describe our mission. We must be open to the Will of God and "do whatever He tells us."
Ponder Points
What miraculous things happen in our daily lives? Do we forget their miraculous qualities? How can we remember to respect them more?
"Do whatever He tells you" How can I be more obedient to Jesus? Is it maybe in being more obedient to my parents or my boss? Or, perhaps my heart is too hard to hear the voice of Christ?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
The Wedding Feast at Cana
Our Lady appears only twice in the Bible: once at the Feast of Cana and once at the Cross. Thus, she was present at the beginning of His Earthly ministry and at the end of His earthly ministry.
Marriage, which was created by God, was sanctified by Jesus at the Feast of Cana.
The wedding feast is symbolic of Christ's marriage to the Church.
Jesus was humble in coming to the marriage feast because He created and sanctified marriage.
By His presence and His miracle, Jesus defied the attacks on marriage.
Marriage is not just a contract; it is a sacrament that unites a man to a woman, as well as humankind to God.
Jesus manifested Himself by turning water into wine at the request of His Mother.
Ponder Point
How do we see Jesus and Mary as models of humility at the Wedding Feast of Cana? How can we immitate that humility in our daily lives?
Our Lady appears only twice in the Bible: once at the Feast of Cana and once at the Cross. Thus, she was present at the beginning of His Earthly ministry and at the end of His earthly ministry.
Marriage, which was created by God, was sanctified by Jesus at the Feast of Cana.
The wedding feast is symbolic of Christ's marriage to the Church.
Jesus was humble in coming to the marriage feast because He created and sanctified marriage.
By His presence and His miracle, Jesus defied the attacks on marriage.
Marriage is not just a contract; it is a sacrament that unites a man to a woman, as well as humankind to God.
Jesus manifested Himself by turning water into wine at the request of His Mother.
Ponder Point
How do we see Jesus and Mary as models of humility at the Wedding Feast of Cana? How can we immitate that humility in our daily lives?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
The Baptism of Jesus by John the BaptistSt. John said, "Behold the Lamb of God." Jesus was foreshadowed by the Passover Lamb.
The lamb was given as a sacrifice and eaten so that death would pass over. Jesus was sacrificed on the Cross to save us from eternal death, and as such we must consume Him in the Holy Eucharist.
How often do Christian return to their old sins even after Confession?
When we give up things of this world, we shall have them in Heaven.
Is the earth's garment of rags any comparrison to the glorious robes of Heaven?
If we give a bad example to others, why would they want to become Catholic?
Ponder Point:
What is most important to me in life? What are my treasures? Are my goals of Heaven or of earth?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
Dear Friends, I apologize for my delay in continuing the Luminous Mysteries discussion. Here is the next part, I hope you enjoy:
The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist
Perseverence in small things is better than fluxuation in large things.
We must daily repentent of our sins.
If we fall in sin, we should not be discouraged; we must keep getting up.
The Mercy of Christ is an abyss.
Our true model is Jesus Christ.
If St. John the Baptist, the greatest of all prophets, was unworthy of Christ, who are we to think highly of ourselves?
Jesus is infinitely humble; He went to His servant to be baptised.
Jesus entered the waters of Baptism to sanctify them, giving us Baptism.
Thus, when we were baptised, we became saints: those free of sin. We must regain our sainthood in Baptism.
We are travelling through earth on our way to Heaven, our home.
Ponder Point:
If daily repentence is important, what should I be doing to repent?
- I found this one difficult to understand at first. The question just asks you to examine your everyday faults, ask God for forgiveness, and resolve to end your bad habits. You could do more, such as going to Confession more often. But, this ponder point justs asks you to find out how you can make up for your faults in your personal life.
The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist
Perseverence in small things is better than fluxuation in large things.
We must daily repentent of our sins.
If we fall in sin, we should not be discouraged; we must keep getting up.
The Mercy of Christ is an abyss.
Our true model is Jesus Christ.
If St. John the Baptist, the greatest of all prophets, was unworthy of Christ, who are we to think highly of ourselves?
Jesus is infinitely humble; He went to His servant to be baptised.
Jesus entered the waters of Baptism to sanctify them, giving us Baptism.
Thus, when we were baptised, we became saints: those free of sin. We must regain our sainthood in Baptism.
We are travelling through earth on our way to Heaven, our home.
Ponder Point:
If daily repentence is important, what should I be doing to repent?
- I found this one difficult to understand at first. The question just asks you to examine your everyday faults, ask God for forgiveness, and resolve to end your bad habits. You could do more, such as going to Confession more often. But, this ponder point justs asks you to find out how you can make up for your faults in your personal life.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Luminous Mysteries
I recently went to a retreat by Fr. Ben Cameron on the Luminous Mysteries at Casa Maria. For the next few days, I will post some of my notes on the retreat for you to meditate on. Father also gave of "ponder points" at the end of each conference for us to meditate on in our personal lives. Here is the first:
The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist
Jesus told us, "Do not be hesitant; do not be afraid," in the things you know are right.
St. John called everyone to repentance so that they would be ready for the coming of Christ.
Repentance means to do something positive.
To rid ourselves of a bad habit we must create a good habit.
It is not possible to live in penance and luxury at the same time.
"The greatest sin of modern time is the loss of the awareness of sin." - Pope Paul VI
Ponder Point:
If we are going to overcome bad habits with good habits, what are two specifically in our lives?
The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist
Jesus told us, "Do not be hesitant; do not be afraid," in the things you know are right.
St. John called everyone to repentance so that they would be ready for the coming of Christ.
Repentance means to do something positive.
To rid ourselves of a bad habit we must create a good habit.
It is not possible to live in penance and luxury at the same time.
"The greatest sin of modern time is the loss of the awareness of sin." - Pope Paul VI
Ponder Point:
If we are going to overcome bad habits with good habits, what are two specifically in our lives?
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