Devotion
Jesus - The Manifestation of God’s Love
Chipo Biti
Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the fullness of God's love for all mankind. When the world was at its worst, God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and set us free from the bondage of the enemy. There was no one else who could have done this for us without any ulterior motives. God simply did this because of His love for us. We didn't deserve it. Humanity was a mess at the time Jesus came to the earth. There was a mixed multitude of people - those who knew God but had chosen to turn their backs on Him, those who did not know God at all, and those who walked around with their noses in their air as they depended on their self-righteousness.
But they all had one thing in common: sin. There was nothing no man could do to resolve it. Many had tried to fulfill their law in their own power but they could not do it. All the sacrifices that were done to atone the sins of the children of Israel were done on a regular basis because they were unable to stop sinning. Sin had a powerful grip over the people and it brought out the worst in them.
Prayer
We were redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, reconciled to God, the Father. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can be children of God. There is no other way. Our lives have been justified by the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on our behalf. All of this done out of love and nothing else.
When you think about the magnitude of this great gift, it is more than enough to make you want to dance for joy for as long as you can. When we think of the love of God, all we have to do is think of Jesus because that is where it is all shown. Jesus Christ is the evidence we have of the loving Father that we have.
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...
