Intercessions: (from Liturgy of the Hours, p. 232)
God has revealed himself in Christ. Let us praise his goodness, and ask him from our hearts:
Remember us, Lord, for we are your children.
Teach us to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Church, that it may be more effective for ourselves and for the world as the sacrament of salvation.
Lover of mankind, inspire us to work for human progress, seeking to spread your kingdom in all we do.
May our hearts thirst for Christ, the fountain of living water.
Forgive us our sins, and direct our steps into the ways of justice and sincerity.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
I am the least in the kingdom
Reading the Word of Life for this month,
Begins my lenten retreat
Shame to me for I haven't made enough effort
To preach the gospel of the Lord.
Have I been considerate and understanding
Instead of being angry?
Have I forgiven those who wronged me
and thought no vegeance against them?
Have I been truthful to my neighbors
and treat them as brethren?
Have I done the good things to others
actions that I wanted be done to me?
Have I been faithful in living out the word
before it comes out from my mouth?
Have I practice so well
to be expert in the art of loving?
Lord, come to my life
and teach me to love as you have loved.
I am weak and know not how to speak
so strengthen my veins and guide my lips.
Let me listen to your voice alone
and silence the noisy voices of the world.
Make me a disciple of reciprocal love
with those you bring closer to me now.
Nothing in the past I can boast of
for I am the least among your chosen ones
But happy I am to have known you
and tried to do your will.
Renew my joy and creativity
in obeying your Will day by day
And polish my life of unity
with every brother and sister who come my way.
Begins my lenten retreat
Shame to me for I haven't made enough effort
To preach the gospel of the Lord.
Have I been considerate and understanding
Instead of being angry?
Have I forgiven those who wronged me
and thought no vegeance against them?
Have I been truthful to my neighbors
and treat them as brethren?
Have I done the good things to others
actions that I wanted be done to me?
Have I been faithful in living out the word
before it comes out from my mouth?
Have I practice so well
to be expert in the art of loving?
Lord, come to my life
and teach me to love as you have loved.
I am weak and know not how to speak
so strengthen my veins and guide my lips.
Let me listen to your voice alone
and silence the noisy voices of the world.
Make me a disciple of reciprocal love
with those you bring closer to me now.
Nothing in the past I can boast of
for I am the least among your chosen ones
But happy I am to have known you
and tried to do your will.
Renew my joy and creativity
in obeying your Will day by day
And polish my life of unity
with every brother and sister who come my way.
Greatest in the Kingdom
by Chiara Lubich
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:19).
Jesus, surrounded by the crowds, went up the mountain to deliver his famous discourse. His first words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek…” already signal the novelty of his message.
They are words of life, of light, of hope that Jesus entrusts to his disciples so that they may be enlightened, and their life may acquire flavor and meaning.
Transformed by this great message, they were invited to transmit to others the teachings they had received and seen translated into life.
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Our society today, more than ever before, needs to know the words of the Gospel and to let itself be transformed by them. Jesus must be able to repeat once again: do not become angry with your neighbors; forgive and you will be forgiven; tell one another the truth so that you will not need to take an oath; love your enemies; recognize that you have only one Father and that you are all brothers and sisters; do to others as you would have them do to you. This is the meaning of some of the many words from the “Sermon on the Mount.” If they were lived, they would be enough to change the world.
Jesus invites us to proclaim his Gospel. But before “teaching” his words to others, he asks us to “live them.” To be credible, we should become “experts” in the Gospel, each one of us in turn a “living Gospel.” Only then will we be able to witness to it with our lives and teach it with our words.
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
What is the best way to live these words? By allowing Jesus himself to teach them to us, while we draw him to us and among us through our reciprocal love. He will suggest to us the right words to say when approaching people, he will indicate ways and approaches to people’s hearts, so that we may witness to him wherever we are, even in the most difficult environments and in the most complicated situations. We will see the world change, that small part of the world where we live, converted and transformed into a place which lives in harmony, understanding, and peace. What is important is to keep His presence among us alive through our mutual love, being docile and listening to His voice, the voice of conscience that always speaks to us if we are able to silence the other voices.
He will teach us to “obey” even the “smallest” norms with joy and creativity, so as to “polish” to perfection our life of unity. May it be said of us one day what was once said of the first Christians: “Look how they love one another and how they are ready to die for one another.” 1 The Gospel is capable of generating a new society, and we will show this by the way our relationships are renewed by love.
We cannot keep the gift we’ve received for ourselves. We are called to repeat with Paul: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (see 1 Cor 9:16). If we allow ourselves to be guided by that inner voice, we will discover ever new possibilities to communicate, by speaking, writing, dialoguing. May the Gospel shine forth again, through each one of us, in our homes, in our cities, in our nations. A new life will flourish in us; joy will grow in our hearts; the risen Lord will shine forth better… and he will consider us “great in his kingdom.”
The life of Ginetta Calliari illustrates this in an outstanding way. When she arrived in Brazil in 1959 with the first group of focolarinos she was shocked by the sudden impact with the nation’s serious inequality. She committed herself to practicing reciprocal love, living the words of the Gospel. “He will open the way for us,” she said. As time passed, a community developed which was consolidated around her, a community that today numbers hundreds of thousands of people of every social class and age, inhabitants of the favelas as well as members from the well-to-do classes, who place themselves at the service of those most in need. A small “people” who are united and who continue to show that the Gospel is true: this is the dowry that Ginetta brought with her when she left for heaven.
1) Tertullian, Apologeticum, 39:7.
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:19).
Jesus, surrounded by the crowds, went up the mountain to deliver his famous discourse. His first words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek…” already signal the novelty of his message.
They are words of life, of light, of hope that Jesus entrusts to his disciples so that they may be enlightened, and their life may acquire flavor and meaning.
Transformed by this great message, they were invited to transmit to others the teachings they had received and seen translated into life.
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Our society today, more than ever before, needs to know the words of the Gospel and to let itself be transformed by them. Jesus must be able to repeat once again: do not become angry with your neighbors; forgive and you will be forgiven; tell one another the truth so that you will not need to take an oath; love your enemies; recognize that you have only one Father and that you are all brothers and sisters; do to others as you would have them do to you. This is the meaning of some of the many words from the “Sermon on the Mount.” If they were lived, they would be enough to change the world.
Jesus invites us to proclaim his Gospel. But before “teaching” his words to others, he asks us to “live them.” To be credible, we should become “experts” in the Gospel, each one of us in turn a “living Gospel.” Only then will we be able to witness to it with our lives and teach it with our words.
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
What is the best way to live these words? By allowing Jesus himself to teach them to us, while we draw him to us and among us through our reciprocal love. He will suggest to us the right words to say when approaching people, he will indicate ways and approaches to people’s hearts, so that we may witness to him wherever we are, even in the most difficult environments and in the most complicated situations. We will see the world change, that small part of the world where we live, converted and transformed into a place which lives in harmony, understanding, and peace. What is important is to keep His presence among us alive through our mutual love, being docile and listening to His voice, the voice of conscience that always speaks to us if we are able to silence the other voices.
He will teach us to “obey” even the “smallest” norms with joy and creativity, so as to “polish” to perfection our life of unity. May it be said of us one day what was once said of the first Christians: “Look how they love one another and how they are ready to die for one another.” 1 The Gospel is capable of generating a new society, and we will show this by the way our relationships are renewed by love.
We cannot keep the gift we’ve received for ourselves. We are called to repeat with Paul: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (see 1 Cor 9:16). If we allow ourselves to be guided by that inner voice, we will discover ever new possibilities to communicate, by speaking, writing, dialoguing. May the Gospel shine forth again, through each one of us, in our homes, in our cities, in our nations. A new life will flourish in us; joy will grow in our hearts; the risen Lord will shine forth better… and he will consider us “great in his kingdom.”
The life of Ginetta Calliari illustrates this in an outstanding way. When she arrived in Brazil in 1959 with the first group of focolarinos she was shocked by the sudden impact with the nation’s serious inequality. She committed herself to practicing reciprocal love, living the words of the Gospel. “He will open the way for us,” she said. As time passed, a community developed which was consolidated around her, a community that today numbers hundreds of thousands of people of every social class and age, inhabitants of the favelas as well as members from the well-to-do classes, who place themselves at the service of those most in need. A small “people” who are united and who continue to show that the Gospel is true: this is the dowry that Ginetta brought with her when she left for heaven.
1) Tertullian, Apologeticum, 39:7.
Jordan is my Mardi Gras
Tomorrow will be the First Day of Lent.
How should I prepare for the forty days of penance?
Jordan reminds me of Jesus' Baptism
And the Beginning of his Public Ministry.
While others enjoy their Mardi Gras
I want to celebrate it reflecting on my own baptism.
The day I was offered by my parents
And welcomed by the Faith Community.
My baptism marked the beginning of a journey
A gradual process of maturing in faith.
Forty-two years have passed,
Where am I now in relation to my God?
I am tempted to go back to the past
To trace my ups and downs
For there I hope to see the hand
Of my loving Creator guiding every step I made.
But the time is now
For me to conclude this post
For the Will of God is in the Now
So, His Will be done.
How should I prepare for the forty days of penance?
Jordan reminds me of Jesus' Baptism
And the Beginning of his Public Ministry.
While others enjoy their Mardi Gras
I want to celebrate it reflecting on my own baptism.
The day I was offered by my parents
And welcomed by the Faith Community.
My baptism marked the beginning of a journey
A gradual process of maturing in faith.
Forty-two years have passed,
Where am I now in relation to my God?
I am tempted to go back to the past
To trace my ups and downs
For there I hope to see the hand
Of my loving Creator guiding every step I made.
But the time is now
For me to conclude this post
For the Will of God is in the Now
So, His Will be done.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Send forth your Spirit
"Father, Lord of earth and heaven,
King to whom all gifts belong.
Give your greatest Gift, your Spirit
God the holy, God the strong.
Son of God, enthroned in Glory,
Send your promised Gift of grace,
Make your Church your holy Temple,
God the Spirit's dwelling-place.
Spirit, come, in peace descending
As at Jordan, heavenly Dove,
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord,
Seal your Church as God's anointed,
Set our hearts on fire with love.
Stay among us, God the Father,
Stay among us, Holy Spirit;
Dwell within us, make us one."
-by James Quinn, S.J.
King to whom all gifts belong.
Give your greatest Gift, your Spirit
God the holy, God the strong.
Son of God, enthroned in Glory,
Send your promised Gift of grace,
Make your Church your holy Temple,
God the Spirit's dwelling-place.
Spirit, come, in peace descending
As at Jordan, heavenly Dove,
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord,
Seal your Church as God's anointed,
Set our hearts on fire with love.
Stay among us, God the Father,
Stay among us, Holy Spirit;
Dwell within us, make us one."
-by James Quinn, S.J.
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