John 15:18-21... The World’s Hatred
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Posted:May 23, 2007 3:25 am
Last Updated:May 23, 2007 5:21 pm 1192 Views
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John 15:18-21
The World’s Hatred
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own: but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you. ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.”
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Reflect…
Jesus predicts that the world will persecute us Christians because, he says, “you do not belong to the world.” Now there is persecution and persecution. Some persecution are violent, but some are quiet, insidious, and perhaps even deadlier for the soul because of that. Modern culture often persecutes Christians in this way. Writer John Francis Kavanaugh describes this second form of persecution in his book; Following Christ in a Consumer Society. The Spirituality of Cultural Resistance.
“Today many Christians values–chastity, pacifism, family life–are seen as deviant, mysterious, or strangely primitive. Consequently, those who embrace such values often find themselves under such great pressure that they must either accept the reality of the dominant commodity values, or acquiesce in their own lives as laughably deviant” (p.60).
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365 Days with the Lord
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John 15:12-17... Jesus’ Commandments
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Posted:May 22, 2007 11:06 pm
Last Updated:May 22, 2007 11:07 pm 1068 Views
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John 15:12-17
Jesus’ Commandments
[Jesus said to his disciples,] This is my commandments love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than that, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master doing. I have called you friends because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you love one another.
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365 Days with the Lord
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John 15:9-11... Joy in Christ
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Posted:May 21, 2007 6:27 pm
Last Updated:May 21, 2007 6:30 pm 1127 Views
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John 15:9-11
Joy in Christ
[Jesus said to his disciples,] As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
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Reflect…
Jesus establishes a direct connection of causality between keeping his commandment–the greatest of which is that of fraternal love–and experiencing complete joy.
John O’Brien writes: “It is one of life’s paradoxes that in pursuing happiness we miss it, while in forgetting about ourselves and seeking to bring happiness to others we find it” (The Art of Courageous Living p. 162).
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365 Days with the Lord
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John 15:1-8... The Vine and the Branches
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Posted:May 20, 2007 7:47 pm
Last Updated:May 20, 2007 7:50 pm 1125 Views
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John 15:1-8
The Vine and the Branches
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and thrown them into a fire and they will burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit become my disciples.
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Reflect…
Spiritual writer Henri Nouwen says, “with its emphasis on accomplishment and success, we often live as if being productive is the same as being fruitful. Productivity gives us a certain notoriety and helps take away our fear of being useless. But if we want to live as followers of Jesus, we must come to know that product, success, and results often belong more to the house of fear than the house of love”(Lifesigns, Intimacy, Fecundity, and Ecstasy in Christian Perspective, pp.60-61).
Our gospel reading is focused entirely on “bearing fruit” by being united to Jesus.
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365 Days with the Lord
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John 14:27-31a... Gift of Peace
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Posted:May 20, 2007 7:08 am
Last Updated:May 20, 2007 7:11 am 1085 Views
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John 14:27-31a
Gift of Peace
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. Not as the world give do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you love me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”
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Reflect…
Jesus says; “My peace I give to you.” Notice the emphasis on “my peace.” This is already a warning that Jesus peace is something different from other forms of peace. Then he specifies negatively: “Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” He offers no positive definition of his peace, but at least we know what it is not.
We see the apostle Paul being stoned by mob. Now, we know that, among all Christ’s disciples, surely Paul must be enjoying Christ’s particular peace. Yet, that peace does not protect him from being stoned. In fact, Paul tell us in his Second Letter to the Corinthians of his imprisonment, beatings, and brushes with death. He writes; “Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten by rod, once I was stoned, tree times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep.” And he continues enumerating all the dangers he faced, in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst…through cold and exposure” (11:24-27).
Obviously such hardship as these are hardly what the world would define as peace. Yet, that is precisely what Paul would call them–Christ’s peace, that is. For he writes to these same Corinthians: “I am filled with encouragement, I am overflowing with joy all more because of all our affliction” (7:4).
Many martyrs died with a song on their lips. For so great is Christ’s peace that it conquers death. In the words of Paul again: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor 15:54).
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365 Days with the Lord
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THE WAY OF PURIFICATION... AFTER CONVERSION... Necessary Care of Oneself... Pray
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Posted:May 19, 2007 5:47 pm
Last Updated:Aug 21, 2007 6:02 pm 1990 Views
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THE WAY OF PURIFICATION
AFTER CONVERSION
CHAPTER 33
Necessary Care of Oneself
PRAY,Lord, give me the courage to look at myself the honesty to admit my faults and limitations, the sincerity to try self-improvement, and the love for You that will keep me at it for the rest of my life. Let me not be concerned about matters that are beyond my control, except to petition You help. For the rest, let me really live the words: “Thy will be done.” Amen
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My
Daily
Bread
CONFRATERNETY
OF THE
PRECIOUS
BLOOD
Book 1 ‒ The Way of Purification
Part 2 ‒ After Conversion
Page 64-66
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THE WAY OF PURIFICATION... AFTER CONVERSION... Necessary Care of Oneself.. Think
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Posted:May 19, 2007 5:43 pm
Last Updated:May 12, 2024 5:21 pm 1010 Views
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THE WAY OF PURIFICATION
AFTER CONVERSION
CHAPTER 33
Necessary Care of Oneself
THINK,
As far as I can, I should strive to help others. In many things however, I can help only by prayer, good example and silence. Prayer gives grace to me and others. Good example reminds others of what they should be doing. Silence prevents the spreading of scandal and the flaring of tempers. Minding one’s own business is a great virtue. My first task is to save my soul. As far as I can, I must also try to help others live a holier and happier life. Many things, however, are not in my power. After I have done what I can to help matters, I should leave them in God’s hands.
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My
Daily
Bread
CONFRATERNETY
OF THE
PRECIOUS
BLOOD
Book 1 ‒ The Way of Purification
Part 2 ‒ After Conversion
Page 64-66
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THE WAY OF PURIFICATION... AFTER CONVERSION... Necessary Care of Oneself
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Posted:May 19, 2007 5:34 pm
Last Updated:May 19, 2007 5:37 pm 1026 Views
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THE WAY OF PURIFICATION
AFTER CONVERSION
CHAPTER 33
Necessary Care of Oneself
CHRIST,
MY , everyone must take a reasonable care of himself. In time of temptation arouse yourself, warn yourself, guard yourself and avoid idleness. No matter how much you do for others, do not neglect yourself altogether. Beware of too much talking. Whenever possible, try to be alone with Me. Take advantage of My presence. Every moment of your life is lived in My presence. You possess Him Whom the whole world cannot take from you. I am worth more than everything else put together.
2. If you neglect yourself, you can lose in a short time the spiritual strength which was acquired slowly and with great effort over a long period. Reflect often on the eternal purpose of your earthly life. You have to be spiritual man to reach this goal. I tell you through My Church how to live this earthly life. There is no other way. Examine your progress each day. In a short time your present life will be over. If you have been faithful, you will never again know fear nor sorrow. For the little labor which you do on earth, you will gain a glorious reward and unending joy. I shall not fail those who have been faithful to My Will.
3. The man who has learned to pray and reflect, looks on self perfection as his first and highest business. One who studies himself honestly, finds it easy to be silent about others. Learn to hold your tongue about the affairs of others unless your duty obliges you to speak. For your attention on your own faults and do something about them. If you are a true man of God, the doing of others will not make you worse than you are. If you can remedy a bad situation, do so. Many times, however, you can do nothing but pray over the misdeeds of others. Do this as one sinner praying for another, not as a superior being, praying for inferiors. When you have learned to fix your attention on your own affairs, you will find great peace of soul.
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My
Daily
Bread
CONFRATERNETY
OF THE
PRECIOUS
BLOOD
Book 1 ‒ The Way of Purification
Part 2 ‒ After Conversion
Page 64-66
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John 14:21-26... The Advocate
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Posted:May 17, 2007 8:46 pm
Last Updated:May 17, 2007 9:32 pm 1032 Views
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John 14:21-26
The Advocate
[Jesus said to his disciples] “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name–he will teach you everything and remind you all that I told you.”
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Jesus has his own definition of love, but applied to God. Essentially it consist in uniting our wills with the will of God. This is not a matter of emotions. It is a free decision of the will, purely and simply. Obeying God is loving God, provided the obedience is neither forced nor purely external but rather comes from the heart. On those terms anybody can love God.
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365 Days with the Lord
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John 13:31‒33a, 34-35... The New Commandment
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Posted:May 17, 2007 7:45 pm
Last Updated:May 17, 2007 9:32 pm 1035 Views
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John 13:31‒33a, 34-35
The New Commandment
When [Judas] had left [the cenacle], Jesus said, “Now is the of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. [If God is glorified in him,] God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My , I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have love you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
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365 Days with the Lord
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