25/01/07 week of Epiphany 3
[Please remember this is a sort of "menu" from which to select. No one has to read it all]
Collect
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
++++++++++
Today's Scripture
http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/
Psalm 50; Psalm [59, 60] or 118 Isa. 49:13-23; Gal. 3:1-14; Mark 6:30-46
++++++++++
From Forward Day by Day: http://www.forwardmovement.org/todaysreading.cfm
Acts 26:9-21. [Paul said] "To this day I have had help from God."
January is the month to commemorate the life and work of both Peter and Paul--Peter a few days ago on January 18, and Paul today. It is hard to imagine two apostles more different from each other. Peter was a humble fisherman; Paul a man of the world, proud to be a Roman citizen. Paul was also an intellectual, fluent in Greek and polished in rhetoric; Peter may have been illiterate. We think of Peter as a country person, and Paul as urban. But what sets Paul apart not only from Peter but from almost all the rest of Jesus' earliest followers is the extraordinary set of letters that have come down to us--letters where we can hear the fierce passion of Paul's preaching in the churches he founded. And in almost every argument he makes, at the center is his absolute allegiance to that searing experience of conversion to God in Christ, "and him crucified." It is that conversion that we remember today. Nothing else matters to Paul, including all the privileges of his birth and all the accomplishments of his ministry. "Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ." With all our privileges and accomplishments, what would it take for you and me to declare the same for ourselves?
++++++++++
Today we remember: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Calendar.htm
The Conversion of St. Paul
Psalm 67; Acts 26:9-21; Galatians 1:11-24; Matthew 10:16-22
O God, who by the preaching of your apostle Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
++++++++++
Today in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Diocese of Maiduguri (Prov. III, Nigeria)
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm
++++++++++
Today concludes the week of prayer for Christian Unity:
Call to prayer
From the East to the West,
from the North and the South,
all nations and peoples bless the creator of creatures with a new blessing,
for he made the light of the sunrise today over the world.
O congregations of the righteous,
who glorify the Holy Trinity in the morning of light,
praise Christ, the morning of peace,
together with the Father and the Spirit;
for he has made the light of his knowledge shine over us.
(Matins Hymn, Armenian Sunrise Office)
God, our Father,
here we are your people meeting together in service to adore you.
We humble ourselves as your church universal
in celebrating and bringing to our memory
that you gave yourself up for the whole world.
Join our hearts together that it may be known that we are your children,
that your presence will be among us,
and we may keep unity in the bonds of peace,
which you prepare in the covenant we have with your Son, Jesus Christ.
(Zephanie Kameeta, Namibia. In: “Why, O Lord?” © 1986, WCC, p. 47)
O Lord, open my eyes
that I may see the need of others,
open my ears that I may hear their cries,
open my heart so that they need not be without succour.
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak
because of the anger of the strong,
nor afraid to defend the poor,
because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
and use me to bring them to these places.
Open my eyes and ears that I may, this coming day,
be able to do some work of peace for you.
(Shona prayer, Zimbabwe. In: “The Prayers of African Religion”, John Mbiti © 1975 SPCK, London, U.K. In the US: Orbis Books, Maryknoll NY, USA, 1975, pp. 148-49.)
Affirmation of faith
I believe in a Father
who so loves his children
to wait in silence for their return
in order to give them the best robe,
kill the fatted calf
and celebrate the feast of reconciliation.
I believe in a Spirit
whose power is not revealed in the thunder of the gale
nor in the dread of the earthquake
but in the still, small voice.
I believe in a Son
who broke the power of Silence
with the piercing cry
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Dying on the cross
he transformed the silence of death
into the death of every silence.
(Massimo Aprile, Italy. In: Rete di Liturgia, 1996, No. 2 © Rete di Liturgia.)
Intercession
Our God, heal us from exploitative social structures,
that condemn many to poverty and expose them to infections.
Heal us from poverty
that renders the body susceptible and forces us into unsafe behavior.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from international injustice,
that sets up exploitative economic policies of trade
and denies millions access to HIV drugs.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from violence that spreads HIV.
Heal us from ethnic and civil wars that spread the virus.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from unhealthy gender relations
that leave women powerless to protect themselves,
and that exposes partners and spouses to infections of HIV
and other diseases with it.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from unhealthy family relations
that tolerate unfaithfulness and bring pain
and hurt to all family members of all generations.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from social stigma and discrimination that lead
us to uncompassionate acts of isolation and failure
to provide quality care and prevention.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from resignation and exhaustion
that make us hopeless and inactive and blind for the life in fullness
that you promised to provide.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from our broken hearts and grief
that continue to pain our spirits and minds
and leave us empty about the meaning of life.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us with resurrection power.
Cause us to rise from fear and hopelessness.
Cause us to rise into your resurrection hope.
Cause us to reclaim our right to life and to quality of life.
Transform us through the joy of your spirit
and your peace that surpasses all our understanding.
Amen.
(Adaptation from “Prayer for Holistic Healing” in AfricaPraying, p. 147 © Musa W. Dube.)
Blessing
Dear Lord,
may the boldness of your Spirit transform us,
may the gentleness of your Spirit lead us,
may the gifts of your Spirit equip us to serve and worship you
now and always.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Amen.
(From: In Spirit and in Truth, Canberra Assembly Worship Book, #53.)
++++++++++
Carmelite.com: Reflections http://www.carmelite.com/spirituality/reflection.php
He is within me at each moment; He is guiding and inspiring me with what I must say and do.
St Therese of the Child Jesus
++++++++++
Reading from the Desert Christians
http://www.cin.org/dsrtftin.html
On True Peace
One of the brothers asked abba Isidore, a priest of scetis, "Why are the demons so terrified of you?" And the old man said, "Ever since I became a monk I have tried never to let anger rise as far as my mouth."
Abba Joseph asked abba Nisteros, "What should I do about my tongue, for I cannot control it?" The old man said to him, "When you speak, do you find peace?" He replied, "No." The old man said to him, "If you do not find peace, why do you speak? Be silent, and when a conversation takes place, prefer to listen rather to talk."
++++++++++
Daily Meditation (Henri Nouwen) http://www.henrinouwen.org/home/free_eletters/
Receiving Forgiveness
There are two sides to forgiveness: giving and receiving. Although at first sight giving seems to be harder, it often appears that we are not able to offer forgiveness to others because we have not been able fully to receive it. Only as people who have accepted forgiveness can we find the inner freedom to give it. Why is receiving forgiveness so difficult? It is very hard to say, "Without your forgiveness I am still bound to what happened between us. Only you can set me free." That requires not only a confession that we have hurt somebody but also the humility to acknowledge our dependency on others. Only when we can receive forgiveness can we give it.
++++++++++
From the Principles of the Third Society of St. Francis:
The Second Note: Love
(25) Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one
another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By
this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another. John 13.34-35
Love is the distinguishing feature of all true disciples of Christ who
wish to dedicate themselves to Him as His servants.
Lord, without You our labour is wasted, but with You all who are weak
can find strength: pour Your Spirit on the Society of St Francis; give
Your labourers a pure intention, patient faith, sufficient success on
earth, and joy of serving You in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
++++++++++
Richard Rohr's Daily Reflection
http://cacradicalgrace.org/getconnected/getconnected_index.html
"Negative Energy"
There's a tendency toward deception in the dysfunctional family. There is a kind of endless crisis orientation, marked by anxiety. I've seen it in myself at times. Sometimes I can't get motivated unless I have something to be anxious about. Apparently, a lot of us were never taught or encouraged to get the positive juices going, so we don't even know how to do it. When we need something to worry about, to be angry or upset about, we begin on a negative foundation. And if we begin negatively, we're probably going to end negatively. It's no wonder that so many of us, against our best intentions, have become negative people, operating our of various kinds of toxic energy. Those energies are often taken on by entire families. For some of us it's the only kind of response we have modeled for us early in life. We were told what we did wrong, what we should not feel, what we should be afraid of. We were not told how to see and feel the good, how to trust life instead of death.
from Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the 12 Steps
++++++++++
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
http://www.artsci.villanova.edu/dsteelman/tradition/sources.html
Paul's conversion
Herein is Saint Paul's conversion memorable: that it was a triumph over the enemy. When Almighty God would convert the world, opening the door of faith to the Gentiles, who was the chosen preacher of this mystery? Not one of Christ's first followers. To show his power, he put forth his hand into the very midst of the persecutors of his Son, and seized upon the most strenuous among them. The prayer of a dying man, Stephen, is the token and occasion of that triumph which he had reserved for himself. His strength is made perfect in weakness.
It was a triumph over the enemies of Christ; but it was also an expressive emblem of the nature of God's general dealings with the race of man. What are we all but rebels against God and enemies of the truth? Who then could so appropriately fulfill the purpose of him who came to call sinners to repentance, as one who esteemed himself the least of the apostles, that was not meet to be called an apostle, because he had persecuted the Church of God? When Almighty God in his infinite mercy purposed to form a people to himself out of the heathen, as vessels for this glory, first he chose the instrument of this his purpose as a brand from the burning, to be a type of the rest.
John Henry Newman, (1801 - 1890) was a famous preacher in the Church of England and after his reception into the Catholic Church he continued preaching and writing and later was made a cardinal.
++++++++++
Today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict
http://www.osb.org/rb/
Chapter 7: On Humility
Holy Scripture, brethren, cries out to us, saying,
"Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled,
and he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
In saying this it shows us
that all exaltation is a kind of pride,
against which the Prophet proves himself to be on guard
when he says,
"Lord, my heart is not exalted,
nor are mine eyes lifted up;
neither have I walked in great matters,
nor in wonders above me."
But how has he acted?
"Rather have I been of humble mind
than exalting myself;
as a weaned child on its mother's breast,
so You solace my soul" (Ps. 130:1-2).
Hence, brethren,
if we wish to reach the very highest point of humility
and to arrive speedily at that heavenly exaltation
to which ascent is made through the humility of this present life,
we must
by our ascending actions
erect the ladder Jacob saw in his dream,
on which Angels appeared to him descending and ascending.
By that descent and ascent
we must surely understand nothing else than this,
that we descend by self-exaltation and ascend by humility.
And the ladder thus set up is our life in the would,
which the Lord raises up to heaven if our heart is humbled.
For we call our body and soul the sides of the ladder,
and into these sides our divine vocation has inserted
the different steps of humility and discipline we must climb.
Selections above from Saint Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, translated from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle OblSB, of Saint John's Abbey, (© Copyright 1948, 2001, by the Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, MN 56321). Adapted for use here with the division into sense lines of the first edition that was republished in 2001 to mark the 75th anniversary of Liturgical Press. Doyle's translation is available in both hardcover and paperback editions.
++++++++++
Collect
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
++++++++++
Today's Scripture
http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/
Psalm 50; Psalm [59, 60] or 118 Isa. 49:13-23; Gal. 3:1-14; Mark 6:30-46
++++++++++
From Forward Day by Day: http://www.forwardmovement.org/todaysreading.cfm
Acts 26:9-21. [Paul said] "To this day I have had help from God."
January is the month to commemorate the life and work of both Peter and Paul--Peter a few days ago on January 18, and Paul today. It is hard to imagine two apostles more different from each other. Peter was a humble fisherman; Paul a man of the world, proud to be a Roman citizen. Paul was also an intellectual, fluent in Greek and polished in rhetoric; Peter may have been illiterate. We think of Peter as a country person, and Paul as urban. But what sets Paul apart not only from Peter but from almost all the rest of Jesus' earliest followers is the extraordinary set of letters that have come down to us--letters where we can hear the fierce passion of Paul's preaching in the churches he founded. And in almost every argument he makes, at the center is his absolute allegiance to that searing experience of conversion to God in Christ, "and him crucified." It is that conversion that we remember today. Nothing else matters to Paul, including all the privileges of his birth and all the accomplishments of his ministry. "Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ." With all our privileges and accomplishments, what would it take for you and me to declare the same for ourselves?
++++++++++
Today we remember: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Calendar.htm
The Conversion of St. Paul
Psalm 67; Acts 26:9-21; Galatians 1:11-24; Matthew 10:16-22
O God, who by the preaching of your apostle Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
++++++++++
Today in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Diocese of Maiduguri (Prov. III, Nigeria)
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm
++++++++++
Today concludes the week of prayer for Christian Unity:
Call to prayer
From the East to the West,
from the North and the South,
all nations and peoples bless the creator of creatures with a new blessing,
for he made the light of the sunrise today over the world.
O congregations of the righteous,
who glorify the Holy Trinity in the morning of light,
praise Christ, the morning of peace,
together with the Father and the Spirit;
for he has made the light of his knowledge shine over us.
(Matins Hymn, Armenian Sunrise Office)
God, our Father,
here we are your people meeting together in service to adore you.
We humble ourselves as your church universal
in celebrating and bringing to our memory
that you gave yourself up for the whole world.
Join our hearts together that it may be known that we are your children,
that your presence will be among us,
and we may keep unity in the bonds of peace,
which you prepare in the covenant we have with your Son, Jesus Christ.
(Zephanie Kameeta, Namibia. In: “Why, O Lord?” © 1986, WCC, p. 47)
O Lord, open my eyes
that I may see the need of others,
open my ears that I may hear their cries,
open my heart so that they need not be without succour.
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak
because of the anger of the strong,
nor afraid to defend the poor,
because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
and use me to bring them to these places.
Open my eyes and ears that I may, this coming day,
be able to do some work of peace for you.
(Shona prayer, Zimbabwe. In: “The Prayers of African Religion”, John Mbiti © 1975 SPCK, London, U.K. In the US: Orbis Books, Maryknoll NY, USA, 1975, pp. 148-49.)
Affirmation of faith
I believe in a Father
who so loves his children
to wait in silence for their return
in order to give them the best robe,
kill the fatted calf
and celebrate the feast of reconciliation.
I believe in a Spirit
whose power is not revealed in the thunder of the gale
nor in the dread of the earthquake
but in the still, small voice.
I believe in a Son
who broke the power of Silence
with the piercing cry
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Dying on the cross
he transformed the silence of death
into the death of every silence.
(Massimo Aprile, Italy. In: Rete di Liturgia, 1996, No. 2 © Rete di Liturgia.)
Intercession
Our God, heal us from exploitative social structures,
that condemn many to poverty and expose them to infections.
Heal us from poverty
that renders the body susceptible and forces us into unsafe behavior.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from international injustice,
that sets up exploitative economic policies of trade
and denies millions access to HIV drugs.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from violence that spreads HIV.
Heal us from ethnic and civil wars that spread the virus.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from unhealthy gender relations
that leave women powerless to protect themselves,
and that exposes partners and spouses to infections of HIV
and other diseases with it.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from unhealthy family relations
that tolerate unfaithfulness and bring pain
and hurt to all family members of all generations.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from social stigma and discrimination that lead
us to uncompassionate acts of isolation and failure
to provide quality care and prevention.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from resignation and exhaustion
that make us hopeless and inactive and blind for the life in fullness
that you promised to provide.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us from our broken hearts and grief
that continue to pain our spirits and minds
and leave us empty about the meaning of life.
Heal us, God in your grace, and transform the world.
Heal us with resurrection power.
Cause us to rise from fear and hopelessness.
Cause us to rise into your resurrection hope.
Cause us to reclaim our right to life and to quality of life.
Transform us through the joy of your spirit
and your peace that surpasses all our understanding.
Amen.
(Adaptation from “Prayer for Holistic Healing” in AfricaPraying, p. 147 © Musa W. Dube.)
Blessing
Dear Lord,
may the boldness of your Spirit transform us,
may the gentleness of your Spirit lead us,
may the gifts of your Spirit equip us to serve and worship you
now and always.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Amen.
(From: In Spirit and in Truth, Canberra Assembly Worship Book, #53.)
++++++++++
Carmelite.com: Reflections http://www.carmelite.com/spirituality/reflection.php
He is within me at each moment; He is guiding and inspiring me with what I must say and do.
St Therese of the Child Jesus
++++++++++
Reading from the Desert Christians
http://www.cin.org/dsrtftin.html
On True Peace
One of the brothers asked abba Isidore, a priest of scetis, "Why are the demons so terrified of you?" And the old man said, "Ever since I became a monk I have tried never to let anger rise as far as my mouth."
Abba Joseph asked abba Nisteros, "What should I do about my tongue, for I cannot control it?" The old man said to him, "When you speak, do you find peace?" He replied, "No." The old man said to him, "If you do not find peace, why do you speak? Be silent, and when a conversation takes place, prefer to listen rather to talk."
++++++++++
Daily Meditation (Henri Nouwen) http://www.henrinouwen.org/home/free_eletters/
Receiving Forgiveness
There are two sides to forgiveness: giving and receiving. Although at first sight giving seems to be harder, it often appears that we are not able to offer forgiveness to others because we have not been able fully to receive it. Only as people who have accepted forgiveness can we find the inner freedom to give it. Why is receiving forgiveness so difficult? It is very hard to say, "Without your forgiveness I am still bound to what happened between us. Only you can set me free." That requires not only a confession that we have hurt somebody but also the humility to acknowledge our dependency on others. Only when we can receive forgiveness can we give it.
++++++++++
From the Principles of the Third Society of St. Francis:
The Second Note: Love
(25) Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one
another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By
this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another. John 13.34-35
Love is the distinguishing feature of all true disciples of Christ who
wish to dedicate themselves to Him as His servants.
Lord, without You our labour is wasted, but with You all who are weak
can find strength: pour Your Spirit on the Society of St Francis; give
Your labourers a pure intention, patient faith, sufficient success on
earth, and joy of serving You in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
++++++++++
Richard Rohr's Daily Reflection
http://cacradicalgrace.org/getconnected/getconnected_index.html
"Negative Energy"
There's a tendency toward deception in the dysfunctional family. There is a kind of endless crisis orientation, marked by anxiety. I've seen it in myself at times. Sometimes I can't get motivated unless I have something to be anxious about. Apparently, a lot of us were never taught or encouraged to get the positive juices going, so we don't even know how to do it. When we need something to worry about, to be angry or upset about, we begin on a negative foundation. And if we begin negatively, we're probably going to end negatively. It's no wonder that so many of us, against our best intentions, have become negative people, operating our of various kinds of toxic energy. Those energies are often taken on by entire families. For some of us it's the only kind of response we have modeled for us early in life. We were told what we did wrong, what we should not feel, what we should be afraid of. We were not told how to see and feel the good, how to trust life instead of death.
from Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the 12 Steps
++++++++++
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
http://www.artsci.villanova.edu/dsteelman/tradition/sources.html
Paul's conversion
Herein is Saint Paul's conversion memorable: that it was a triumph over the enemy. When Almighty God would convert the world, opening the door of faith to the Gentiles, who was the chosen preacher of this mystery? Not one of Christ's first followers. To show his power, he put forth his hand into the very midst of the persecutors of his Son, and seized upon the most strenuous among them. The prayer of a dying man, Stephen, is the token and occasion of that triumph which he had reserved for himself. His strength is made perfect in weakness.
It was a triumph over the enemies of Christ; but it was also an expressive emblem of the nature of God's general dealings with the race of man. What are we all but rebels against God and enemies of the truth? Who then could so appropriately fulfill the purpose of him who came to call sinners to repentance, as one who esteemed himself the least of the apostles, that was not meet to be called an apostle, because he had persecuted the Church of God? When Almighty God in his infinite mercy purposed to form a people to himself out of the heathen, as vessels for this glory, first he chose the instrument of this his purpose as a brand from the burning, to be a type of the rest.
John Henry Newman, (1801 - 1890) was a famous preacher in the Church of England and after his reception into the Catholic Church he continued preaching and writing and later was made a cardinal.
++++++++++
Today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict
http://www.osb.org/rb/
Chapter 7: On Humility
Holy Scripture, brethren, cries out to us, saying,
"Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled,
and he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
In saying this it shows us
that all exaltation is a kind of pride,
against which the Prophet proves himself to be on guard
when he says,
"Lord, my heart is not exalted,
nor are mine eyes lifted up;
neither have I walked in great matters,
nor in wonders above me."
But how has he acted?
"Rather have I been of humble mind
than exalting myself;
as a weaned child on its mother's breast,
so You solace my soul" (Ps. 130:1-2).
Hence, brethren,
if we wish to reach the very highest point of humility
and to arrive speedily at that heavenly exaltation
to which ascent is made through the humility of this present life,
we must
by our ascending actions
erect the ladder Jacob saw in his dream,
on which Angels appeared to him descending and ascending.
By that descent and ascent
we must surely understand nothing else than this,
that we descend by self-exaltation and ascend by humility.
And the ladder thus set up is our life in the would,
which the Lord raises up to heaven if our heart is humbled.
For we call our body and soul the sides of the ladder,
and into these sides our divine vocation has inserted
the different steps of humility and discipline we must climb.
Selections above from Saint Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, translated from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle OblSB, of Saint John's Abbey, (© Copyright 1948, 2001, by the Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, MN 56321). Adapted for use here with the division into sense lines of the first edition that was republished in 2001 to mark the 75th anniversary of Liturgical Press. Doyle's translation is available in both hardcover and paperback editions.
++++++++++
posted by Gloriamarie Amalfitano @ 9:28 AM
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