 clickable | | The Freedom to Love
‐---‐--‐-------- St. John the Evangelist tells us that the truth will set us free. But what does that mean? St. Francis found the truth that leads to freedom in the truths of the Gospel, and the freedom he found was the freedom to love. God's truth imparts to us the freedom not only to grasp the truth that is being imparted but also the freedom from what previously had been preventing us from acting on that truth. The Gospel itself will show us not only how we are to discern the truth, but how the truth leads to the action we call love. —from the book Surrounded by Love: Seven Teachings from Saint Francis by Murray Bodo, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | † Saint Quote
"O Holy Family—the Family so closely united to the mystery which we contemplate on the day of the Lord's Birth—guide with your example the families of the whole earth!" — Pope St. John Paul II †Meditation of the Day "Love is an excellent thing, a great good indeed, which alone maketh light all that is burdensome and equally bears all that is unequal. For it carries a burden without being burdened and makes all that which is bitter sweet and savory. The love of Jesus is noble and generous; it spurs us on to do great things and excites us to desire always that which is most perfect." — Thomas à Kempis, p. 87 An Excerpt From Imitation of Christ †Verse of the Day "In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:10-12 |  click to read more | | St. John the Evangelist
‐----------------------
St. John the Evangelist (1st c.) was one of the Twelve Apostles, and one of the three in Jesus' inner circle, along with his brother, James, and Simon Peter. St. John was the disciple who reclined on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper, and the only one of the twelve to not forsake Christ during His crucifixion and death. John stood faithfully at the foot of the Cross alongside the other holy women, and therefore he was the disciple to whom Jesus entrusted the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In addition to being called "The Evangelist" he is also known as the "Beloved Disciple." After the death and resurrection of Jesus, St. John was an important leader of the Church in Jerusalem. He lived to a very old age and composed the fourth Gospel that bears his name, three epistles, and the book of Revelation. He is the only one of the Twelve Apostles who was not martyred, instead being exiled to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea under the persecution of Roman Emperor Domitian. St. John the Evangelist's feast day is December 27th. ...........
Reflection It is a long way from being eager to sit on a throne of power or to call down fire from heaven to becoming the man who could write: "The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (1 John 3:16). | December 27 2019 « December 26 | December 28 » Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist
Lectionary: 697 Reading 11 JN 1:1-4 Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life —
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete. Responsorial PsalmPS 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12 R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are around him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just! Alleluia See Te Deum R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel
JN 20:1A AND 2-8 On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed. | Meditation: 1 John 1:1-4 Article Tools Text Size Comment (6) Print Email Share Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist (Feast) What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you. (1 John 1:3) So just what does an evangelist do? According to St. John, he takes what he has seen, heard, touched, and experienced and tells people about it. That seems simple enough, doesn't it? What did John see and touch and believe? Jesus. He traveled with him, he heard him teach, he saw him die, he looked into the empty tomb, and he saw Jesus resurrected. You might guess that John's efforts at evangelization focused on those events. Certainly, he doesn't skip over them, but he also makes it a point to get to the reason behind each and every thing he witnessed Jesus doing: love. Everything, from John's calling on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, right up to Pentecost Sunday, pointed to God's abiding love. It was love that moved John to leave behind his nets and begin a new life as a disciple of Christ (Matthew 4:21-22). When his mother asked for honored positions for her sons, John took Jesus' response, "Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" as an expression of Jesus' love and concern for his spiritual growth (20:22). He experienced that love as he leaned against Jesus' chest at the Last Supper and asked who it was who would betray him (John 13:25). And when he stooped to look into the empty tomb, John experienced a love so powerful that it could not be confined to the grave (20:5). All of these things, and so many more, were tangible demonstrations of Jesus' personal love for John. He didn't just see them with his eyes or touch them with his hands; he felt them with his heart. And that's what inspired him to proclaim the gospel. As an evangelist, John wanted everyone who heard his message to understand that they too are the disciple whom Jesus loves (John 20:2). What have you seen and heard? Like John, you too are a beloved disciple. And that means that you too can proclaim God's love to the people around you. It's not a difficult task. Just find a way to speak from your heart—and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. "Lord, open my eyes to the ways your love enfolds every event of my life, and show me how to share it." Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12
John 20:1-8 |  clickable | If every mother could wrap her mind around her true value as a woman and a mother, her life would never be the same. We would wake up every morning excited for the day rather than feeling as though we'd been hit by a truck during the night. We would talk differently to our kids, fret less about our husbands' annoying habits, and speak with greater tenderness and clarity. We would find more contentment in our relationships, let mean remarks roll off our backs, and leave work feeling more confident in the job we performed. Each of us would live a life of extraordinary freedom. —Dr. Meg Meeker from The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers | my2cents:
"We are writing this so that our joy may be complete."
I told an agnostic that in Christ there is joy.
It is not what the world calls happiness. It is a knowing that you are with Christ no matter what. | We pray "Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!"
A command is ushered from Heaven. Rejoice in...the Lord. It is for the just, the holy, the people of God. All eyes on Him. | In the Holy Gospel we heard "They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first..."
The key is that once they heard news...THEY RAN.
Didn't they know there were enemy soldiers guarding the body?
Didn't they believe Mary Magdalene?
What drove them to run for it?
It was hope that caused them to run.
It was the Holy Spirit.
It was a knowing. Something told them inside to run to the light.
Or was it fear that drove them...fear of someone taking His body...and what would they do with it? Now it was a run to do something about it. One of the sons of thunder. One rock of Christ. Two men now willing to be men.
Or was it both?
That no matter what...
Christ is the cause of our joy and that joy is worth fighting for.
Fight your enemy, temptation.
Fight the enemy, sin.
Run to look for Christ.
Be confident and unafraid.
An angel will meet you and guide you to Him... | Random bible verse 1 cor 15:58
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. |  click to hear a message | Thank You Lord | |
No comments:
Post a Comment