Leisure Is a Virtue We tend to think that the opposite of work is leisure. Leisure is not the opposite of work; play is the opposite of work, if you have to have a polarity like that. And leisure is precisely the bridging of this gap between the two. Leisure is precisely doing your work with the attitude of play. That means putting into your work what is most important about playing, namely, that you do it for its own sake and not only to accomplish a particular purpose. And that means that you have to give it time. Leisure is not a privilege for those who can take time for leisure. Leisure is a virtue. It is the virtue of those who give time to whatever takes time, and give as much time as it deserves, and so work leisurely and find meaning in their work and come fully alive. If we have a strict work mentality we are only half alive. —from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life | †Quote
"The Cross is the way to Paradise, but only when it is borne willingly."
— St. Paul of the Cross † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"There was much in the Magdalen that she had never used, perhaps never dreamed of, until she came to our Lord. He revealed to her the secret of true self-development, which is another word for sanctity. And she found under His guidance that everything in her had henceforth to be used, and used in a fuller and richer way than she had ever imagined possible. It was in no narrow school of self-limitation, in no morbid school of false asceticism, that this poor sinner was educated in the principles of sanctity, but in the large and merciful school of Him who has been ever since the hope of the hopeless, the friend of publicans and sinners; who knows full well that what men need is not to crush and kill their powers, but to find their true use and to use them; that holiness is not the emptying of life, but the filling; that despair has wrapped its dark cloud around many a soul because it found itself in possession of powers that it abused and could not destroy and did not know how to use. Christ taught them the great and inspiriting doctrine 'I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.'"
— Fr. Basil W. Maturin, p. 40
AN EXCERPT FROM
Christian Self-Mastery † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9 |  click to read more | | Saint Vincent of Zaragossa (d. c. 304) Saint Vincent of Zaragossa's Story Most of what we know about this saint comes from the poet Prudentius. His Acts have been rather freely colored by the imagination of their compiler. But Saint Augustine, in one of his sermons on Saint Vincent, speaks of having the Acts of his martyrdom before him. We are at least sure of his name, his being a deacon, the place of his death and burial. According to the story we have, the unusual devotion he inspired must have had a basis in a very heroic life. Vincent was ordained deacon by his friend Saint Valerius of Zaragossa in Spain. The Roman emperors had published their edicts against the clergy in 303, and the following year against the laity. Vincent and his bishop were imprisoned in Valencia. Hunger and torture failed to break them. Like the youths in the fiery furnace, they seemed to thrive on suffering. Valerius was sent into exile, and Dacian, the Roman governor, now turned the full force of his fury on Vincent. Tortures that sound very modern were tried. But their main effect was the progressive disintegration of Dacian himself. He had the torturers beaten because they failed. Finally he suggested a compromise: Would Vincent at least give up the sacred books to be burned according to the emperor's edict? He would not. Torture on the gridiron continued, the prisoner remaining courageous, the torturer losing control of himself. Vincent was thrown into a filthy prison cell—and converted the jailer. Dacian wept with rage, but strangely enough, ordered the prisoner to be given some rest. Friends among the faithful came to visit him, but he was to have no earthly rest. When they finally settled him on a comfortable bed, he went to his eternal rest.
Reflection The martyrs are heroic examples of what God's power can do. It is humanly impossible, we realize, for someone to go through tortures such as Vincent had and remain faithful. But it is equally true that by human power alone no one can remain faithful even without torture or suffering. God does not come to our rescue at isolated, "special" moments. God is supporting the super-cruisers as well as children's toy boats. | Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Reading 1 Heb 6:10-20 Brothers and sisters:
God is not unjust so as to overlook your work
and the love you have demonstrated for his name
by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.
We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness
for the fulfillment of hope until the end,
so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who,
through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. When God made the promise to Abraham,
since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
and said, I will indeed bless you and multiply you.
And so, after patient waiting, Abraham obtained the promise.
Now, men swear by someone greater than themselves;
for them an oath serves as a guarantee
and puts an end to all argument.
So when God wanted to give the heirs of his promise
an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his purpose,
he intervened with an oath,
so that by two immutable things,
in which it was impossible for God to lie,
we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged
to hold fast to the hope that lies before us.
This we have as an anchor of the soul,
sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil,
where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner,
becoming high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek. Responsorial Psalm Ps 111:1-2, 4-5, 9 and 10c
R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Eph 1:17-18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 2:23-28 As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
"Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
He said to them,
"Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?"
Then he said to them,
"The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." | Meditation: Mark 2:23-28 2nd Week in Ordinary Time The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. (Mark 2:27) When children are young, it seems as if their lives are hemmed in by rules: look both ways before crossing the street. Share your toys. Wash your hands after you use the bathroom. Parents know that rules like these will help their children grow into maturity. The rules are there to protect them as they learn to make right decisions. As their children mature, parents will offer reasons and explanations for these rules. Then, finally, comes the time when children are able to make their own decisions based on the good habits they formed in childhood. Like rules for a young child, the sabbath guidelines that Jesus talks about in today's Gospel were meant to help God's people make a habit of choosing God's ways. They were meant to instill the practice of prayer and rest into the rhythm of life. Obeying the Law in itself wasn't the goal. Staying close to God was the goal—loving him and giving him time and space in their lives. This is just as true for us as it was for ancient Israel. God did not create us to slavishly observe sabbath law. He created the Sabbath to help us grow into mature believers who live to worship him and follow his law of love. At their best, human laws are meant to help us think as God thinks. But not all human laws do that. That's why it is so vital that we pray for just laws that will protect the vulnerable—especially unborn children. We know that society needs to protect these little ones, but it rarely does. Laws are supposed to support us in doing what's right. So it's important that the laws of our society reinforce that purpose. And when they don't, it's important that we pray and work for changes in the law that will help our society grow in justice and compassion. Let's pray today that our officials will enact just laws that protect the vulnerable. Let's pray that each one of us grows in our ability to care for the innocent and defenseless. Let's do what we can to safeguard the least among us. "Jesus, thank you that you want us to grow to mature Christian love. Help me learn to live according to your law of love." Hebrews 6:10-20
Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10 | 2cents:
"This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Jesus passed through a veil, and He asks us to take this chalice. The veil is death, and the chalice, His Precious blood. What does the wine taste like, to me? To me, it is bitter and strong, yet sweet, and it burns. All things Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit burns the heart. It reaches the interior of self and invites us to His interior. From our heart to His. Enter into His rest..The Rest. What's left is just a taste...that is Eucharist. | We pray: "He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD. He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever." Today's 1st Holy Scripture dealt with an oath. A promise that is a covenant forever. The Sacrament is an oath. God's end though, is more powerful, of course. His end lasts. Ours is always slipping and tripping. This is good news. We nullify the pact, but God renews it day by day, so long as we desire His promise of Mercy. He gives food to the flock that has fear of Him, a Holy Reverence and dear love of the Shepherd. Most of these lambs have been broken by the shepherd. That is how they learned to fear Him and to trust Him and to feed what He feeds. In this case, He feeds Himself to the sheep, all things goodness, righteousness and Love. | In today's Holy Scripture, we find our Lord in an assembly, on the Sabbath, always peculiar things happen on the Sabbath with our Lord.
They pick wheat, bread. They blurt out ""Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
You can't do this, they say. But they are speaking to God. And so Jesus says:
""Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?" Wait, are you saying you are David, Jesus? And these are David's companions? David was in war, and was famished, and needed nourishment to continue. So they took bread from the altar. AMEN? Eucharist. Jesus, takes the wheat on the Sabbath and becomes the priest at the altar of thanksgiving and praise and offering.
That is our food for the journey. If you are a warrior, if you are a Christ follower, if you are a saint, you need food for the journey and the battle on the journey. There are a few things that can guard us from evil: Prayer, Eucharist, Fasting, and blessed Sacramentals as well as Sacraments. The more, the better. The Eucharist is only as effective as the battle warrior has put into the war. If you do not desire what God offers, much, then you will receive little. To the one who has more, more will be given. More what? More desire, more will to be righteous and good, and holy. More light. More hope. More sacrifice. Strive to pass through the veil with Jesus, with this chalice.
"The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." The sabbath was made for man...to worship God, not sabbath to worship man. Sadly, I've heard this verse twisted by men to work on Sundays, "sabbath was made for man". NO. It disgusts me. I am zealous for the Lords commands. If you desire, you will not work on Sunday and keep it holy by obeying God's command to keep it Holy, that is, assemble with the just, and give thanks, and be with our Lord. In our country, teachings are twisted more and more. We have a Saturday Vigil Mass that counts for Sunday, why? So people can work or take the day for themselves on Sunday. In our country, the fasting rules have changed before Mass. People used to fast from Midnight before Mass, then it got softened to one hour before Mass, and now, people say you need not fast up until an hour before you receive Him, so for an hour Mass, you can be stuffing yourself all the way til Mass starts. NO. There is no sacrifice anymore. There are people that want to be waited on hand and foot. These people blame all the bad on God and all the good on themselves. Sabbath was made for man's own good. It is a Holy Day. You shall not the seize the day for yourselves. Where did I get all this notion from? Simply, footnotes on bible readings that pointed to 2 Maccabees chapter 5. "The Lord, however, had not chosen the nation for the sake of the place, but the place for the sake of the nation."
It goes to say what our Lord says, to go out from this point, of the Eucharist, the sending forth, the final blessing, a command, yet another command from God, to preach repentance, to baptize, to resurrect the dead, to live for the dead and to die for those doomed. Sinners have a place of hope in the assembly, and it is all about our Lord's healing ministry, sanctifying and reuniting us with Him.
Today, our Lord asks us to come to Him in a special way. To leave behind all your notions of Him, all your doubts, and totally surrender. He takes this wheat, that the disciples took to Him, and He converts it into a reality that beams a message ushering in a new order. His beatification of a converted soul. A beautification to Him.
Honor And Glory | |
No comments:
Post a Comment