111023

 

Homily= make an account of your stewardship!
Also, "we need to be more creative & inventive in serving the Gospel"?? Something like that. Emphasizing how worldly people will go to very impressive & even genius ends & lengths to achieve their goals & dreams & ambitions, to defend or advance their cause, but we Christians can be scandalously closed-minded and unimaginative in our service of the faith.


YouTube threw THIS at me when I got home=
https://www.appleseeds.org/Newman_My-Mission.htm

...

Xenophon correction. Realizing the knee-jerk "it's okay" response to an apology DOESN'T HELP EITHER PARTY.
...
"Thank you for caring enough TO be sorry"

Evening =
National Eucharistic Revival "call to prayer" pledge-- REFUSED TO IGNORE. Signed up. Now we're a LEGIT part of it!
Prayed DVM w/o music, offered up that sacrifice "fasting" for it. VERY DIFFICULT, because without the music we can barely think straight??? Thoughts are super disjointed & distracted; "no sense of self," constant panic. WHY???

INTENSE PANIC over eating before Vespers. Feels like a HUGE SIN. I'm sitting here actually shaking. I think I'm going to wait.
No, it has to be a sacrifice. Be brave. Pray.
BUT is my refusing TO wait a sign of GLUTTONY??
Dude the devil is messing with your brain.

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

VOTD = Titus 3:4-5 AND Acts 4:12!

"Out of all of the Holy Spirit’s power and gifts that we might be attracted to, ultimately the primary job of the Spirit is NOT to impress with signs & wonders, or to give us emotional experiences. It is to testify to the glory of the Son and to make His glory known. It is the Holy Spirit that awakens our soul to the truth that only in Jesus can we find forgiveness for our sins; in Jesus alone can we find freedom, joy, and peace. It is the Holy Spirit that opens our eyes and shows us the glory of Christ, so we can stop chasing after empty things hoping to be filled; we can stop trusting in that which will never meet our GREATEST needs of forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and salvation in Him. Those things can ONLY be met through Jesus, for there is salvation nowhere else and in no one else... I pray that your lives will be filled with the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit, and that as a result you would cling to the Name of Jesus, and, like Saint Peter, boldly proclaim that Jesus's Name is the only Name that has power to save."
I quoted all that because really, it's a DIRECT RESPONSE to last night's Mallett talk about the "new age religion" of Self.
1) "Good vibes" are NOT proof of truth. That "warm and fuzzy feeling" is NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT, nor is ANY "transcendent experience" a new-ager may claim TO be Him, even "by definition!"
...
2) Jesus didn't perform any miracles for Herod. The Spirit is under NO obligation to impress you, either. His job is NOT to work wonders to "prove His power" or "inspire you to believe"-- and He NEVER gives YOU the power of working wonders for your own sake!!
...
3) EVEN AS CHRISTIANS, WE MUST NEVER SEEK THE SPIRIT’S GIFTS FOR ANY SAKE OTHER THAN SELFLESSLY GLORIFYING CHRIST JESUS.
...
4) Freedom, joy, and peace are ONLY in Jesus BECAUSE they ONLY RESULT FROM FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
...
5) Our GREATEST NEEDS are what the "new age" denies absolutely-- we need to be put right with God Almighty. We need to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father. We need to be saved from our selves, from our sinful proud rebellion, and we are obviously therefore POWERLESS to save ourselves. Salvation is ONLY IN CHRIST.
...
6) The NAME of Jesus has this most divine & efficacious power. That always fascinates me.
...
7)
...

The prayer continues to destroy newage heresy=
"Jesus, we know that You are the only way to eternal life. Salvation is possible only because of Your grace, mercy, and love for us. There is no one else like You. Help us to focus our attention on You, and not allow distractions to overtake and discourage us from what You offer."
That is some HEAVY STUFF man!
1) ETERNAL LIFE. We've been studying this all though John and honestly I don't think the newage movement has ANY CLUE what it actually is.
...
2) Salvation is IMPOSSIBLE without Jesus.
...
3) Attention is so important in this day and age, not just because of the distractions of "worldly pleasures," but ALSO because of the distractions of worldly FEAR.
...
4) DISCOURAGEMENT. That slammed into me. How often the newage movement DOES try fiercely to make Jesus's "offer" look like a ruse? They try to poke holes in the Rock. It's insane. It's sheer heartless blasphemy.
BUT this discouragement happens BY DISTRACTION!!!
...


Some striking translation variations on Titus btw.
First, these two beautiful revelations of verse 4's true depths=
"‭But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared [in human form AS the Man, Jesus Christ]..."
"‭When the extraordinary compassion of God our Savior and His overpowering love suddenly appeared in person, as the brightness of a dawning day..."

Verse 5=
"God saved us"...
+ "on the ground of His Mercy"/ "in accordance with His Mercy" / "because He CHOSE to forgive us" / "because He wanted to give us a chance" / "because He felt "really sorry" for us"

"And not because we did"...
+ "virtuous deeds" / "works of justice" / "anything to gain His approval" / "good deeds in order to get right with God" ... "we had nothing to do with it!"

As to the next bit, being HOW He saved us, it's obviously a reference to BAPTISM = "He saved us... through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit."
BUT this "washing" is also called "regeneration" & "spiritual transformation"... it "makes us clean inside," "washes us inside AND out". It is a "purifying bath" that gives us "new life," by "washing away our sins" and "making us new people." It is the "water of rebirth".
AND IT IS ALL BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!! Without Him it's just water!!
"God has washed us so that we are clean inside. We have been born again, so that we live a new life. God's Holy Spirit has done this for us."
The Holy Spirit "renovates" us. HE "gives us new birth and new life by washing us," WITH Himself! "‭God saved us by making us new through the Holy Spirit... washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit, we came out of it [as] new people." He gives us "a fresh beginning," even "resurrecting us".
On that note, here's a bonus. Verse 6.
HOW does this water get this new purpose? And WHERE does the Spirit come from, for this sacred work?
"‭God richly poured out his Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior." "‭God sent Jesus Christ our Savior TO give us his Spirit... to die for us as a sacrifice to save us," "so now God has poured His Holy Spirit into us, to fill us." 
Reflect on that!! God poured out the Holy Spirit into us "generously," "abundantly," "fully and freely," "because of what Jesus Christ our Savior has done."
And verse 7 gives us the GOAL of this Divinely merciful act of salvation. In other words, WHY did God save us? WHY did He pour out the Holy Spirit on us, THROUGH Jesus, this Spirit that graciously washes us into rebirth, without any merit on our part?
He did it, first= "so that we would be justified [made free of the guilt of sin] BY His [compassionate, undeserved] grace."
God's grace "makes us acceptable to Him"; it "makes us righteous" in His sight; by grace, the "free gift of His Love", He "gives us His approval," all "because God is very kind."
‭God's justifying us by grace makes us able to "be acknowledged and counted as conformed to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action"... in this way, "‭God’s gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives."
But take it one step further: what does this restoration & justification do? What is the final result of it all for our lives?
‭"Jesus's grace made us right with God. And through Him God gave us the Spirit... So now we have received the hope of eternal life as God’s children." Yes, "God saved us so that we could be His children, and [therefore] look forward to receiving life that never ends... We are made heirs of eternal life [actually experiencing it] according to our hope (His guarantee)... As a result, we know that we will receive the good things that God has prepared for us. We know that we will live with God for ever."

God WANTS this. He PROMISES it to us. HE DOES THE WORK!!

Sorry for all the pasting. I just never quite grasped this before, and I found it all very beautiful, how intimately & powerfully & completely God is working in Baptism for each one of us. To quote the TPT: "All three members of the Trinity are mentioned in vv. 4-6 and are seen as active participants in our salvation." That is ineffable. The ENTIRETY OF GOD is lovingly & freely & mercifully working for our salvation, right now and forever. If THAT doesn't make you rejoice to be a Christian then nothing will.

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

KVOTD = Philippians 1:27-28.
"We must live with a Christian attitude and lifestyle... to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Believers are called to "stand firm" ON the Word of God [and] "in one Spirit." This reflects unity to the world and honors God. Being "in one Spirit" means that our words and actions should honor God and reflect His Word of the Gospel. We're not called to just share God's Word, but to LIVE IT OUT with confidence! When we show love, when we're empathetic, when we have a tender heart and a humble mind, we are reflecting the Message of Christ-- living out a life worthy of the Gospel by honoring God's Commands. This is one way that we can steward our lives, living for the glory of God and honoring His Word!"
THAT FITS THE GOSPEL PERFECTLY!

The questions are very sweet & practical, which is what I love about kid's devotionals =
"What can you do to represent the Good News better today?
I can have a positive attitude with my teachers.
I can control my temper with my siblings.
I can be honest with my parents."
We don't typically think of these attitude adjustments as "representing the Gospel" but they REALLY ARE, and that's beautifully inspiring.
1) Positivity
2) Controlling your temper-- which is several virtues, notably patience,
3) Honesty-- but specifically towards those in a position of authority &/or influence over you. THAT'S when we're tempted to lie, in an attempt to save our reputation or even to wrongfully bolster it.
...


The prayer unexpectedly hits=
"God, thank You for trusting me with the responsibility of representing the Gospel to everyone I know. As I grow closer to You, please help me see the things in my life that I need to change to better reflect YOUR character. I submit my life to You today."
I honestly think I'm going to save this to pray daily. That's so powerful in its simplicity.
1) ...God trusts us. That changes everything. It's EXACTLY what we talk about with Outspacers.
...
2) I felt nudged to look up "responsibility" =
...
3) We don't just preach. We REPRESENT. And it's a FULL-TIME JOB!!
...
4)
...

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh man the guided prayer just convicted us HARD=

"Because God is always with us, we can experience true joy at all times-- because the joy His Presence gives isn’t based on our circumstances; it's based solely on His Faithfulness. Still, instead of trusting in God, we tend to let our problems & fears dictate our reactions, and this alone robs us of experiencing His joy..."
In this daily context, NOT trusting in God means we doubt His Presence IS with us. And we doubt THAT because we doubt that He really does love us & care for us that much, especially "since we're struggling."
...


------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

More Mark Mallett tonight, giving us really beautiful hope.

"Adam, Eve, Mary, and Jesus were all living in the Divine Will, as opposed to merely copying the Divine Will...These four alone… were created in perfection, with sin playing no part whatsoever in them; their lives were products of the Divine Will as daylight is a product of the sun. There was not the slightest impediment between the Will of God and their being, and therefore their acts, which proceed from being. The Gift of Living in the Divine Will then… is precisely that same state of sanctity as these four possessed... As Jesus taught Luisa, “to live in My will is to reign while to do My Will is to submit to My orders… To live in My will is to live as a son. To do My Will is to live as a servant"... And Jesus revealed that to remain in His love is to live in His will."
I'm pasting all that because I never realized there WAS SUCH A VITAL DIFFERENCE between doing & being, in regards to the Will of God! But it makes perfect sense. I mean, in one sense it's obvious-- we poor sinners are constantly fighting both the temptation to disobey & our natural weakness in obeying God's Will-- but in another sense, i never even dreamed that there WAS another way. How ironic, since the ONLY true Way IS JESUS, and although He did "obey" God as a Man, it was a "new" kind of obedience. It was a natural, unhindered obedience, that was the direct & inevitable result of HIS BEING, WHICH WAS LOVE. He had no sin, therefore no resistance or concupiscence, and therefore nothing preventing or adulterating His obedience. I'm rambling a little. It's just a total game-changer for us called to be Christians, to whom THIS GRACE is apparently now being offered??
Also, wasn't this actually in A Wind In The Door in some way? I need to look.
Let me try to break this down for the sake of thinking more clearly...
1) Our fallen nature & wounded wills make it impossible to obey God without struggle, unless the Holy Spirit is working in us?
2) To "copy" God's Will is to still have this dissonance, however unwilling. To LIVE it is for that Will to BE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR BEING??
3) Our "copied" acts are by choice, by free will, by struggle often, etc. But LIVING God's Will is EFFORTLESS?? "Their acts PROCEEDED from Being," NOT "DOING"!!!
4) To reign vs submit, to be a child vs a servant. That is so powerful and humbling and clear.
5) What is OUR doorway to this grace? REMAINING IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
We're reading this in John 12, aren't we??? Go back and REVIEW son!!

Also, apparently, MARY IS A HUGE PART OF THIS???
Have some more pasting because I NEED a stronger devotion to Mary and I don't "know her very well" yet, especially since i spent most of my life terrified of her or even outright disliking her!! Mom I'm sorry, I was lost and damaged and blinded by fear. But please, be a Mother to me now, and help me to embrace your role in my life more fully. Help me to know you AS my Mother and love you as your Son wants me to.

Here's the pasting=
"Adam and Eve were God’s intention before the fall; Jesus was the remedy after the fall; and Mary became the new prototype:
"The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life. (CCC, n. 488)"
And not only the life of Jesus, but that of His Body, the Church. Mary became the New Eve, (which means “mother of all the living”), to whom Jesus said: "Woman, behold, your son. (John 19:26)".
"By pronouncing her “fiat” at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body. (CCC, n. 973)"
The work of Mary then, in co-operation with the Holy Trinity, is to birth and bring to maturity the Mystical Body of Christ such that it participates again in the “same state of sanctity” which she possesses. This is essentially the “Triumph of the Immaculate Heart”: that the Body is brought to “live in the Divine Will” as Jesus the Head is."
1) THIS is why we are to imitate Mary! I think I just pasted a bit by de Montfort about this EXACT thing yesterday-- how she, of all Creation, is the most perfectly conformed to Her Son, and as she is a mortal human like us, she is our perfect model to model Christ. Her "soul magnifies the Lord"; everything she does points to God. But she is the PROTOTYPE of the "new human", in total loving conformity to & union with God, through Christ Jesus?? Like Eve, her choice defined the very essence of her offspring??
2) Mary's Motherhood is AMAZING.
...
3) THE "FIAT."
4) So the stunning answer to, "how do we change from "copying & doing" to "living & being" the Divine Will?" is THROUGH MARY.
...


I slightly touched on this but Mark says it far better =
"The Kingdom of God is already within the hearts of the baptized... but the Catechism teaches that this reign is not yet fully realized. And part of the reason it is not fully realized is that there is a tension between the human will and the Divine Will that exists even now, a tension between “my” kingdom and Christ’s Kingdom. "Only a pure soul can boldly say: “Thy kingdom come.” One who has heard Paul say, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies,” and has purified himself in action, thought and word will say to God: “Thy kingdom come!” (CCC, n. 2819)"
And that requires ABSOLUTE SELF-DENIAL. We must, like Christ & Mary both, give our "fiat," our "Thy Will be done," to ALL of God's Plan-- to the Passion & Cross, without exception. THAT'S true purity. It's single-heartedness. We must "lose our life for His sake." Sin is always distrust, always a choice of Self over God. We can only truly realize God's Reign within us when we have been completely dethroned... and that cannot truly happen without this new grace, without this "new being"?? We must be reborn in Christ, through Mary. That's what I'm getting right now. I'm thinking too much.
...We cannot purify ourselves by force of will. It's solely the work of the Holy Spirit, "poured out on us through Christ Jesus."
I'm too impure to be rambling on about this. Social mode keeps kicking in.

I can't be pasting everything. I just want to read.

One last bit of true hope for a stupid & wretched sinner like me.

"Surely an infinite God has an infinite number of gifts to give His children. Since the “Gift of Living in the Divine Will” is both consonant with Scripture and Sacred Tradition, and is the “Crown and Completion of All Sanctities”, let us get on with the business of desiring and asking the Lord for it, Who gives generously to those who ask."