MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Most Holy Name of Jesus  Although St. Paul might claim credit for promoting devotion to the Holy Name because Paul wrote in Philippians that God the Father gave Christ Jesus "that name that is above every name" (see 2:9), this devotion became popular because of 12th-century Cistercian monks and nuns but especially through the preaching of St. Bernardine of Siena, a 15th-century Franciscan (May 20). Bernardine used devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus as a way of overcoming bitter and often bloody class struggles and family rivalries or vendettas in Italian city-states. The devotion grew, partly because of Franciscan and Dominican preachers. It spread even more widely after the Jesuits began promoting it in the 16th century. In 1530, Pope Clement V approved an Office of the Holy Name for the Franciscans. In 1721, Pope Innocent XIII extended this feast to the entire Church.
Comment:
Jesus died and rose for the sake of all people. No one can trademark or copyright Jesus' name. Jesus is the Son of God and son of Mary. Everything that exists was created in and through the Son of God (see Colossians 1:15-20). The name of Jesus is debased if any Christian uses it as justification for berating non-Christians. Jesus reminds us that because we are all related to him we are, therefore, all related to one another.
Quote:
"Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary" (St. Bernardine of Siena).  Saint of the DayLives, Lessons and Feast By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M. Presence
Dear Jesus, I come to you today
longing for your presence. I desire to love you as You love me. May nothing ever separate me from You. Freedom
"I am free."
When I look at these words in writing They seem to create in me a feeling of awe. Yes, a wonderful feeling of freedom. Thank You, God. Consciousness
I exist in a web of relationships - links to nature, people, God. I trace out these links, giving thanks for the life that flows through them. Some links are twisted or broken: I may feel regret, anger, disappointment.I pray for the gift of acceptance and forgiveness.
The Word of GodReading 11 JN 2:29-3:6
If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him. See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him. Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 3CD-4, 5-6
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Gospel JN 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." Conversation
Jesus, you always welcomed little children when you walked on this earth. Teach me to have a childlike trust in you. To live in the knowledge that you will never abandon me.
Conclusion
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
I saw the Spirit come down. (John 1:32)
A new president. A royal birth. Freed hostages. Truly significant events make newspaper headlines and nightly news programs everywhere. No wonder, then, that all four Gospels recount the descent of the Holy Spirit at Jesus' baptism! Not only was this one of the most important events in Jesus' life; it's also one of the most important events in the unfolding of God's plan for his creation. After all, if Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to accomplish his mission, how much more do we need the Spirit to help us live the Christian life!
In his own way, each Evangelist tells us that the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus at his baptism. Then, the entire New Testament goes on to tell us that the heavens remain open to this very day. Think about it. No barrier between heaven and earth! Nothing to keep us from hearing the Father's voice! We can know God, hear his voice in our hearts, and experience his Spirit empowering us.
There's another equally amazing truth behind Jesus' baptism: heaven has come down to earth! Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come," but he also told us, "The kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17:21). It's not here in fullness yet, but it is here—and we are its ambassadors. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we can bring the reality of heaven to our families, offices, and schools. We can bring a taste of heaven to prisons, hospitals, and homeless shelters. We can become vessels of the Spirit in coffee shops, bookstores, supermarkets, and even traffic jams. Because we have the Spirit, people around us can learn what heaven is like.
Jesus was baptized so that the Spirit could be released. He was baptized so that the good news of the gospel would come not just in the words we hear at Mass or read in the Scriptures but in power and in the Holy Spirit. You—yes, you—get to be God's headline in this world! Your life can become a news story that everyone is eager to read. All because heaven has come down to earth.
"Holy Spirit, fill me! Teach me to bring the life of Christ and the reality of heaven everywhere I go today."
1 John 2:29--3:6; Psalm 98:1, 3-6
my2cents: It is the first Friday of the year. Our Lord was crucified on a Friday. It is always a day to fast, always a day to pray, always a day to remember what He did for us so that we may be called the children of God and follow His Way. God came to tell you, in a way you are never to forget, I love you this much, stretched on the cross. Can it be that suffering unites? I am sitting here speaking with a young man about his step daughter in the hospital, suffering, losing blood for an unknown reason, and tons of family are gathering, tons of friends, some speaking about making benefit deals to help them. I told him "sometimes it takes something like this for families to gather" because he spoke on division. He mentioned someone didn't want them laying hands on the suffering girl, simply because they didn't believe in that. I said "we need to be open to the Holy Spirit". He is the healer. The woman that suffered bleeding in the bible sought after Jesus, seeking healing that the world could not provide and when she touched the tassel, not the Lord Himself, just the tassel...she was Healed and Jesus could feel it. He can sense the faith in our hearts, in our souls. This is why we need baptism. This is why we need to be baptized with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Jesus wants this for all. Yes we need physical healing, but we need spiritual healing all the more. And this Spirit of our Lord will finally heal us of our true infirmity...sin. Why? What for? So that we may be pure, and holy, like Him. He wants His children to be like Him. I know as for me, I would love for my children to be like me in the way of following the Way of the Lord. I want them to be like me, but more, more than me. Just like you who are reading this, I want you to be like this and more, more holy, more faithful, more beautiful in the eyes of our Lord and not the world, because sin deforms us, and at Heaven's gates you will not be recognized "who are you?". No one who sins has seen Him or known Him. Upon the baptism of our Lord, we hear the words of the Holy Mass "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" and we respond "Have Mercy On Us". We spend more time pleading for mercy, forgiveness, and righteousness throughout the Mass than most. Why? Because Holiness is about to come into our souls. The young man asked for prayer, before I wrote to you. We prayed, and I prayed that they may be open to the Spirit as they are united for a common cause. And the prayer ended with the most Holy Name of JESUS. Name above all names in the universe. This unity is a symbolism of all Christians of all denominations. We all need to unite for the cause of our Lord and His Kingdom. The devil divides and kills one by one. The further you are, the more susceptible you are, the less you can see the Lord. These are the ones the Lord seeks, the lost, the poor, the forgotten. When someone bugs me, it is because they need Jesus. Whether your kids, your friends, co-workers. I try to remember that every day. In my mind I stop, and for them I pray. We need sacrifice. This day is Friday. He sacrificed Himself for us to unite. This day seemingly full of anxiety and despair, this day kicks off a whole new day, a whole new Sabbath, which is our Sunday. Remember that. Remember what? See what love the Father has bestowed on us, that we may be called the children of God...and God is Love I'm His Son Subscribe to the Going4th mailing list. | ||||||||
Going4th, from, Andrews, TX
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