Devotion
Children, Love Your Parents
Chipo Biti
As children of God we aren't just called to obey our Father in Heaven. We are called to obey our earthly parents too. Our parents have been placed as our guides, our teachers, and the people we are to submit to.
Parents have the responsibility of raising their children up in the right way - which is the way of the Lord. One way that we express our love of God is in obeying our parents and respecting them.
This can be a little tricky if you are a believer and your parents are not. In such circumstances respect them and still love them. You do not need to treat them harshly or coldly. How will they be ministered to if you are antagonistic towards them? In such circumstance you have to be weary of what you choose to listen to and what you do not listen to. If any of their instructions are not of God, lovingly decline. Just because you and your parents have a difference in beliefs, it does not mean that you need to cut them from your life.
Prayer
Pray for them, minister to them when you can, and continue to love them. Continue to hope that they will become compelled to give their lives to Christ.
This command is for people who have loving, godly parents. Anyone who has not had the opportunity to have such parents, or have come from abusive homes, can find the love of a father and mother in God. God can heal you of all the pain you have gone through and give you the strength to move on from your terrible experiences. He will also guide you when you have children of your own.
The main essence of this commandment is to love our parents with the love of God. When we do so, we are doing a godly thing.
Devotion
Culpability
Frances Taylor
This is an interesting passage because, among other things, it talks about sin and who is considered guilty of sin. Paul is talking about how he has been forgiven, how God has been merciful to him because his actions were committed in unbelief. In order for sin to be committed, one needs to know he is committing it. No one can commit sin in retrospect. Sin is always a deliberate act. This can be hard for some to understand. Actions can be considered sinful, even though the person committing them may not be culpable. For example, lying is a sin. However, is the two year old hiding behind the curtains sinning when he or she claims not to have broken the vase? No, because the child has no understanding of the difference between truth and lie. Those who do not have a relationship with God, who do not know the commandments, who have never heard of Jesus, may commit sinful actions, but are not guilty of sin. This is what Paul claims is his situation. Paul ...
Morning Prayer
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth.
Inspiration
When the Lord sent his only Son, he sent also his word. For his body was this very word made flesh. Importantly this was not simply a manifestation of God's word, but also rather an 'animation' of it (meant here in the original Latin as 'animare' –'to instill with life or spirit'), an instance of God's love and divine grace in action, among us.
Prayer
Lord, I am grateful for your mercy in showing us your word made flesh so that we may be redeemed. Further, I am grateful to you for showing us your love and grace through your only begotten son. Let his body not have been torn and broken for no avail, but feed us now in the Eucharist. Let not his blood have...
