Ready To Open

Minute Meditations Living Your Gifts A charism is a gift that achieves God's purpose. Charisms build up the body of Christ and give us the strength and power to evangelize. Charisms help others to know, love, and serve God. They are gifts given to each of us for the salvation of others. How beautifully relational that is! — from Created to Relate St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775) Born in northern Italy in 1694, Paul Daneo lived at a time when many regarded Jesus as a great moral teacher but no more. After a brief time as a soldier, he turned to solitary prayer, developing a devotion to Christ's passion. Paul saw in the Lord's passion a demonstration of God's love for all people. In turn that devotion nurtured his compassion and supported a preaching ministry that touched the hearts of many listeners. He was known as one of the most popular preachers of his day, both for his words and for his generous acts of mercy. In 1720 Paul founded the Congregation of the Passion, whose members combined devotion to Christ's passion with preaching to the poor and rigorous penances. Known as the Passionists, they add a fourth vow to the traditional three of poverty, chastity, and obedience, to spread the memory of Christ's passion among the faithful. Paul was elected superior general of the Congregation in 1747, spending the remainder of his life in Rome. Paul of the Cross died in 1775, and was canonized in 1867. Over 2000 of his letters and several of his short writings have survived. Comment: Paul's devotion to Christ's passion must have seemed eccentric if not bizarre to many people. Yet it was that devotion that nurtured Paul's compassion and supported a preaching ministry that touched the hearts of many listeners. He was one of the most popular preachers of his day, known for both his words and his generous acts of mercy. Quote: Paul wrote that God's love "penetrates the inner core of one's being, changes the lover into his beloved. And on a higher level where love is merged with sorrow and sorrow mingled with love, there results a certain blend of love and sorrow that is so complex that the love can no longer be distinguished from the sorrow nor the sorrow from the love." Patron Saint of: Hungary Daily Prayer - 2015-10-20 Presence Lord, help me to be fully alive to your holy presence. Enfold me in your love. Let my heart become one with yours. Freedom Lord, you created me to live in freedom. Mostly I take this gift for granted. Inspire me to live in the freedom you intended, with a heart untroubled and with complete trust in You. Consciousness How do I find myself today? Where am I with God? With others? Do I have something to be grateful for? Then I give thanks. Is there something I am sorry for? Then I ask forgiveness. The Word of God Reading 1 Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21 Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned. If by that one person's transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many. For if, by the transgression of the one, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so, through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous. Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Responsorial Psalm PS 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17 R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not; then said I, "Behold I come." R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. "In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!" R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. May all who seek you exult and be glad in you, And may those who love your salvation say ever, "The LORD be glorified." R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Alleluia Lk 21:36 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 12:35-38 Jesus said to his disciples: "Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants." - - - Some thoughts on today's scripture When we are fully involved in anything our attention is complete. At other times we tend to put things off. It's a great gift to be alert to the fact that we have come from God and we are going back to God. This helps to put our whole life into a proper perspective. Closeness to Jesus is what keeps this awareness alive. Conversation Begin to talk to Jesus about the piece of scripture you have just read. What part of it strikes a chord in you? Perhaps the words of a friend - or some story you have heard recently - will slowly rise to the surface of your consciousness. If so, does the story throw light on what the scripture passage may be trying to say to you? Conclusion I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text. Meditation: Luke 12:35-38 View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Subscriber? Login to view archives. Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest (Optional Memorial) Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. (Luke 12:37)   "Lord Jesus, I know who you are speaking about. You are the master in this parable. And I am blessed to be one of your servants. I am in awe, Lord, that you, the King of kings, would wait on me! "Jesus, you are more exalted than the master you spoke of in this parable. He was just a man, like me. You, however, sit on heaven's highest throne. Saints and angels bow down before you in a continual expression of honor. You hold the very universe together with the power of your word. And still, you humbly stoop to serve and attend to me. "Master, you promise that if I am vigilant, a day will come when you will serve me. But you've already served me more than I could dare to dream! You traded heaven's glories for earthly humility. You submitted yourself to a body like mine that thirsts, grows weary, and suffers pain. You lowered yourself to the company of sinners and tax collectors, even to being crucified between thieves just so that you could bear my guilt and shame. "Thanksgiving wells up within my heart as I reflect on all the ways that you've served me. Every day, you listen carefully as I tell you about my needs and desires, and you answer each prayer. You carry my burdens and invite me to recline at your table of grace. Thank you, Jesus! "Lord, today I pray to be clothed with the garment of service that you wear so gracefully. Give me your heart of meekness and patience so that I can wear it gracefully, too—in my home, at work, and everywhere I go. Help me to quench any flickers of pride that arise as I go about serving your people today. Instead, light my heart with the flame of your love. May it burn brightly so that I can see your beautiful countenance in the faces of my neighbors. And may all who feel its warmth be drawn to you." "All glory and honor to you, Jesus, the servant King!"     Romans 5:12, 15, 17-21 Psalm 40:7-10, 17 my2cents: The Lord wants us ready.  Hot or cold.  Not lukewarm.  Ready for the groom, and He says Master.  Are you ready for the Master?  Are you?  Or do you fall asleep at the wheel?  Falling asleep is to fall into temptation.  That temptation that feels so good to give into, that self induldgence where sacrifice and mortification are forgotten.  That is where the giving stops.  That is where love stops.  So the question is, are you ready?  Are you ready for the second coming?  Am I talking about the end of the world, or simply the end of your life?  Because either and both are coming, one, in your lifetime and the other in the culmination of God's time, because time does not exist outside this earth, where we measure everything in our terms, where its all about me, or us, on this earth.  That is how meager and feeble our attempts are for eternal understandment.  We can not fathom eternity, how can we dare try?  And so the question is, are you ready?  Are you ready for what He has in store?  Are you ready to work?  Are you ready to serve, are you ready to love, are you ready to love God?  How hard or easy is it?   It's as hard or as easy as you allow.  Make life hard and make it hard to love Christ.  And now we are speaking about grace.  Living in His Grace means you are unshakable, your joy is unbeatable, your holiness is remaining steadfast.  Remain.  Ready, let the temptations subside and let Him reside, the Master is coming, what are you wearing? Work clothes?  Wedding clothes?  Or Servant clothes for the feast!? He is on watch for His lover.  Be ready to open. He is on watch for You!!! adrian Subscribe to the Going4th mailing list.

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