Remember Your Last Days

 

LECTIO:      Sir 27:30—28:7

Wrath and anger are hateful things,
yet the sinner hugs them tight.
The vengeful will suffer the LORD's vengeance,
for he remembers their sins in detail.
Forgive your neighbor's injustice;
then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.
Could anyone nourish anger against another
and expect healing from the LORD?
Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself,
can he seek pardon for his own sins?
If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath,
who will forgive his sins?

STUDIO:

Being a volunteer in prison ministry, this reading is right up my alley. Ben Sira is believed to have written between 200 BC---175 BC . He attempts to give practical advice to natural problems. Those who take vengeance on others will in turn receive the Lord's vengeance.

      Harboring anger and plotting revenge destroy the person.  It festers and kills the soul.  It is better to leave vengeance to the Lord.

MEDITATIO:

It is hard to leave everything to God, especially hurts.  Experience has taught me that nursing resentment only hurts myself.  Still.  It's so hard to forgive.  Time does heal and after many years, it is better to move on.

ORATIO:

Lord, when I've been hurt help me think clearly and remember to come to You. Heal my sores.

CONTEMPLATIO:

Vengeance is the Lord.

RESOLUTIO:

I have to work on not harboring resentments.  I need to pray for this.

Remember your last days, set enmity aside;
remember death and decay, and cease from sin!
Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor;
remember the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults.

Sentenced to Die

 One of my "cloistered brothers" said something in chapter, today, that really impressed me.  We were sitting in a circle with our Dominican Sisters and Father Wayne, expressing what our community meant to us.  Boo Boo said that he was sentenced to die in prison.  He was a miserable person and didn't care about anything.

Slowly, he got involved with the Catholic activities in the prison.  He started to look forward to going to Mass.  However, it was when he got involved with Our Lady of Mercy Fraternity, that his attitude was completely changed.  He said he looks forward to living.  He thanks God every day for his life.  He's had so many blessings.

God's Image

 

Yesterday, at a Day of Reflections given by Bethany House Ministries, Sister Judith Moormann, OP, had us draw on this little circle, what we picture God.  It is made into a ring.  Coincidentally, last week, my grandchildren made a poster of what they think, when they think of God.

Adoration Reflections

 

Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore by the Lay Dominicans, is a book of reflections to be used during  Eucharistic Adoration.  Adoration is time spend with Jesus.  It is an extension of receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.  Nowadays people are glued to their digital devices.  In Adoration, one sits in silence before a monstrance containing the Eucharist.

Sitting with Jesus, present in the Eucharist, may be the most profoundly meaningful time of our day.

          This book is the Dominican Laity's response to the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter Mane Nobiscum Domine, asking the faithful to make the Eucharist the center of their lives. Also, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops is asking people to participate in a National Eucharistic Revival. Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore, is one answer.

            The reflections in this book are perfect for the laity to use during Adoration time.  They are brief tidbits offered to seep into your thoughts during the day, and probably during the week.  Hopefully they will morph into your psyche and attitude to affect a change in your life forever.

From Pity Party to Celebration

 Is it because I'm old?  What do you think?  I went to a friend's funeral yesterday.  Before I left the house to go to the funeral Mass, I took a small package of tissues.  I always cry at funerals, even strangers'.  I often attend Mass and sometimes the Mass is a funeral Mass.

My friend was 96 years old and we were friends for over 20 years.  For some reason, I didn't shed a tear.  In fact, the opposite happened.  I was happy.  My interior disposition was celebratory.  I found myself praying "Hurrah, you made it.  I'll see you soon.  Say hello to our friends."  

I can't wait to see my parents and siblings and friends.  Alleluia!  Praise be to God.

God is good.

Reading Grew Exponetially

 Imagine reading in the first century.  What would you read?  You probably didn't.  You didn't know how to read.  Why would you learn to read, not only was it not necessary for you to earn a living, but you wouldn't have been able to afford it.  

Think how expensive it must have been.  Material to write on, was needed--either animal skins or parchment.  Then make ink.  Someone had to write the book and then that was only one copy, unless others copied it.

Books were so expensive that they had to be chained less someone absconded with it as if it were their personal property.  Hence, it was chained so everyone could use it.

Who could read? What occupations would require it?  Teachers, lawyers, and scribes, etc.  A king or merchant/businessman would hire a scribe to read and write for him. If you are watching the Chosen you will notice that Jesus has Matthew as a scribe.  Could Jesus read?  Actually, theologians and others in related fields argue that very question.

Since books weren't plentiful, those who read them, reread them many times.  I imagine they knew them very well and could recite passages from memory.  

Contrast that with today's books.  How many times have I read a book and half way through it, I realize that I've already read it?  

How blessed we are to have such a plethora of reading materials!

Our Priesthood

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people. 1 Peter 2: 9

Jesus is speaking about all those baptized faithful.  Before, the Israelites were the favored ones, but now the priesthood and its privileges belong to us.  We have become to share a covenant relationship with God.  

One responsibility with the title of priesthood is to evangelize.  We are given the responsibility to announce God goodness and salvation to the world.  Baptism makes every member of the Church a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.

This priesthood of course is not the sacrament of ordination.  It is the priesthood of all believers, which enables every Christian to minister to the spiritual needs of others and to offer ourselves, body and soul, to God.  Who else could do this, but ourselves? Only we can do it.

God's only truly holy things on earth today are His people, those whom He has sovereignly and graciously set apart for Himself through Jesus Christ. The new temple of God and the new priesthood of God are His church, which Peter here refers to figuratively as a holy nation.

Peter gives us a fourfold description of the people of God. His first description, which we discussed in my last thoughts, is that we are a “chosen race.” His second description is that we who believe in Christ are a “royal priesthood.”

The fact that we are a “royal priesthood” is rooted in the priesthood of Christ. Concerning Christ, Zechariah said, “He will be a priest on His throne” (Zechariah 6:13). When we believe in Christ, we are “in Christ” and members of a “royal priesthood.”

In verse 5 of our text, Peter says that we are a “holy priesthood.” Compare Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:6.

Many aspects of the priesthood of the believer are interesting. I will highlight just a couple of key points. One is that we have direct access to God. With God, we have immediate and personal access. We learn about this access in Hebrews 10:19-22. Christ is the “great priest over the house of God.” As believers “we have the confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus.” We should, therefore, “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”

As far as access to God is concerned, believing Jews and Gentiles stand on common ground (Ephesians 2:17-18). All who believe in Christ have direct access to God. As Paul says, “Through Him [Christ] we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).

Two, another feature of the priesthood is the offering of “spiritual sacrifices.” As Peter declares, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).

Our sacrifices to God include our “sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15).

To summarize, the body of Christ is a royal priesthood. We have direct access to God. We need not go through someone else. We can offer spiritual sacrifices. Let us live up to our privilege!